Sirène
by TheUltimateGambit91
Summary: The XMen go to the Caribbean for the summer vacation. While swimming, Rogue comes within skin contact with something...or someone. She finds her body experiencing multiple changes. a tail, scales and …gills? & What are the Acolyte boys doing here? ROMY
1. Stranded

_**The X-Men go to the Caribbean for the summer vacation. However, **__**while taking a dive under the Caribbean sea, Rogue comes into contact with something…or more someone. At the skin contact, she finds her body experiencing multiple changes…a tail, scales and …gills? And why are the Acolyte boys in Kingstown, Saint Vincent?**_

_**Hey ya'll! Hope you enjoy this new one. And if ever you see a missing "e" just lemme know, my new cheep key board has proven its worth. The "e" key is a right little bugger that refuses to work properly. **_

_**ANYWAY, DISCLAIMER: I don't own X-Men, they are MARVEL property.**_

_**-Ultimategammy91**_

**Sirène**

**By UltimateGammy91**

**Chapter One – Stranded**

"_Passengers on flight 21649 to Saint Vincent, we apologize for the delay in the flight schedule, your flight will be ready for departure within the next ten to thirty minutes…"_

"_Ten to thirty minutes?_ We've been sitting here for like,- like,- _forever!_ Rogue? What? What's so, like, funny? We've totally been waiting for _hours_! We should so see the- the- oh I don't know, the _pilot_ or something! I am so going to…"

In actual fact, it had only been an hour of waiting. Rogue, who had found her friend's little rant somewhat amusing, only chuckled and shook her head. There was no point in reasoning with the angry Valley Girl for she was already annoyed at the airport for delaying their flight. She didn't need nor want the wrath of Kitty Pryde upon her head too, she was already feeling sorry for the flight attendant that would be given a year-long monologue of complaints once Kitty got on the plane. Instead of reasoning with her best friend, Rogue simply adjusted the ear-phones of her Ipod Nano and sat back in her seat while Kitty continued to rant and fume over the _inconsiderate actions of the airport_. It wasn't five more minutes before someone dared to speak over Kitty's rant of 'likes', 'totallys' and 'so not fairs.' And who dared but risk his head being chewed off? The ever fearless leader, Scott Summers. He sat beside Rogue in a '_not so obvious'_ disguise of a pair of jeans, a grey turtle-neck and a black coat. The one thing that made his disguise _'complete'_ were his ruby quarts shades that rest comfortably on the bridge of his nose. However, even though his eyes were hidden behind shades, his frown of disapproval and urgency was still apparent as he spoke.

"Kitty _please!_ You're making a scene. We already have our faces all over the news every night, we don't need our faces all over the airport flight plans either. Calm it down already." 

Kitty sent Scott a rather deadly looking glare, one that Rogue would've been proud of had she not been in agreement with Scott's words. Their faces, _their mutant identities_ had once again gone public all over the news nearly six months ago and _still_ people gave them weary glances or backed away in Rogue's case. It had been a miracle that no one had recognised them when they came to New York Airport in the first place. They had, after all, practically torn down Madison Square, thanks to a couple of vigilante mutants that had decided to take the law into their own hands.** (ehem, sounds like some team I know of)** However, if Kitty continued on her rant and someone took that one closer look at them, their little miracle would be lost. They would endure a very, _very_ long flight with rude flight attendants and anti-mutant passengers. However, when Kitty only continued to glare at Scott, Jean decided to put in her own defence. Contrary to the fearless leader, Jean had more success with pulling together a disguise than her boyfriend. Her flowing red hair was braided back and a pair of wide sunglasses covered her moss-green eyes. Her attire was simple, a cream-coloured coat over a dark maroon top and a knee-length skirt and boots, but not overly conspicuous. She turned to Kitty and kept her voice down as she spoke.

"Please Kitty, just be patient with them. We'll be in the Caribbean before you know it but until then can we just try to keep a low profile? It would ruin the entire holiday if we were found out." 

Kitty gave a huff of annoyance and slumped low in her seat but nonetheless, she kept quiet. Rogue, who sat on the end of the row of seats that they and their luggage were crowded around, gave her friend a small smirk of amusement. Kitty was always a temperamental girl when it came to travelling; especially holidays. She would pack basically every piece of clothing, make-up and stuffed toys into her bag(s), she would complain if she wasn't given the _perfect_ room whenever she checked into a hotel and once she _did_ have the right room, she would pack all the free merchandise into her bags, even the men's razors and the shaving cream. It was amusing, that much was certain but also quite disturbing when you thought about why she would possibly want to keep men's shaving cream. To Rogue, it was very entertaining, mainly because it was usually _her_ that was the temperamental one but to the others it was a _Kitty _nuisance. Which was also probably why Bobby and Kurt had decided to dump their bags and head for the Food Court, that, and the fact that the _Hobbits, _as Rogue dubbed them, needed their _Elevenzies._(1) Meanwhile, Rogue and the others were left in the departure seats, waiting for any sign of their plane being ready for take off. Oh and did I mention it was snowing outside? Guess not.

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_**Meanwhile, at the entrance to the airport…**_

"Come on mate! Stop makin' eyes at them flight-Sheilas an' help me with this bloody bag of yours! What have ya got in 'em? _Bloody rocks?!"_

Remy LeBeau ignored St. John's complaining. Instead, he let his gaze slide over a pair of lovely flight hostesses as they walked by, one blonde and the other a brunette, both giving him a second look before turning around and giggling to each other as they walked through the automatic doors. It was _after_ the two had passed out of sight that the infamous Cajun Charmer turned back to the task at hand. Pulling his tan trench coat closer to fight off the chill of the air, he walked over to the boot of the car. Here, John had Remy's duffle bag by the straps, half in the boot, half out, while he tried his best to pull the _thing_ onto the bag trolley.

Shaking his head, Remy put a gloved hand on John's shoulder and pulled him away from the bag. Once with the Auzzie out of his way, Remy grabbed hold of the bag straps and with little effort, he pulled the duffle bag free from the clutches of the boot and swung it over his arm. John could only stare, wide-eyed while Remy walked away from the car. He turned back and called John when he didn't follow.

"Y' comin' _mon ami?_ Or does Remy have t' carry y' too?"

John followed, his two duffle bags rolling away on the trolley as he pushed it. Though Remy didn't mention it later, he couldn't help but smirk with amusement as John began muttering something about _'bloody yanks'_ and '_their bloody luggage' _as they made their way into the airport. It was going to be a long flight.

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_**Meanwhile, about half an hour later…**_

"_Passengers on flight 21649 to Saint. Vincent, we apologize again for the delay. Your flight is postponed until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience but the road is not clear for take off…"_

This time, it was Rogue who let her frustration be known. Letting out a small groan of annoyance, she let her head fall back as she closed her eyes and tried to block out everything else. They had been stranded at Gate 17 for nearly three hours with nothing but that same announcement and the same _god-damn-apology _every half our or so. Kitty, much to everyone's delight, had taken to falling asleep across a row of chairs while Kurt and Bobby were still lost to the Food Court. Scott and Jean were still in their seats, both quiet and content. Jean had a thick novel in hand while Scott had his nose in a newspaper. Rogue meanwhile, had grown tired of her Ipod and was resorted to finding a new source of entertainment.

Opening her eyes again, she turned to look at the two love birds seated next to her, only to find inspiration hit her in the face. There was clearly nothing better to do her than pull out a book, so, she grabbed her back-pack from under her seat, unzipped it and began to rummage around its contents in search for her own book. Within ten seconds however, Rogue was muttering curses as she let her bag fall back onto the ground. She'd packed her books into her _suitcase_ which was probably already on the plane. She made a mental note to slap herself with one of them when she got to Saint. Vincent, that is if they _ever_ got there. However, inspiration didn't seem to want to leave her alone, she only had to look up to find an answer to her problem.

"_Inspiration: Book Store. _Talk about karma."

Before the words even escaped her lips, Rogue grabbed her back-pack and with a quick explanation to Jean and Scott, she walked towards the book store. Little did she know, what goes around comes around, and boy was _someone_ about to come her way.

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_**Meanwhile…**_

"Oi' Remy mate. Why do they call _'Burger King'_, _'Burger King' _in the States but they call it _'Hungry Jacks' _back in Australia?" 

Remy rolled his eyes at the Auzzie for possibly the zillionth time that _hour._ Instead of replying however, he kept to his coke and his sad excuse for a burger and ate in silence. Their flight had been delayed for some unknown reason so the two boys had been left to kill time. He wasn't one for fast food joins like _'Burger King' _or _'Hungry Jacks'_, whatever they called it, but there wasn't much choice. There was McDonalds but he'd seen enough of that _'Super-size Me' _program to last him a lifetime and considering the guy who had taken the challenge had already eaten more than enough McDonalds frise and burgers for the _world, _he didn't think that McDonalds needed his money (2) After Burger King and McDonalds, there really wasn't that much to go for and he was already craving a cigarette, he didn't need to intensify the craving by chewing down on crappy Airport food. John on the other hand, could have easily changed his mind. The boy was practically _breathing_ down French Frise, Mc-milk shakes and Mc-burgers all in one and there was simply no stopping the guy. The sight was almost nauseating to watch.

John, who had noticed his friend and team mate's lack of talk, gave Remy a puzzled expression. However, when this did not make his questioning evident enough, he began to speak, his mouth practically bulging with food. He managed to muffle out a few words as well a few chewed pieces of French fries and god knows what else.

"What's wiff foo?" (What's with you?)

Remy managed to suppress a cringe of disgust. Instead, he took a last sip of his Coke and stood from his chair. He gave the puzzled Auzzie a quick answer as he began to walk off.

"Not'ing. Y' finish y' lunch _mon ami. _Remy goin' for a walk."

John gave another inquisitive glance but Remy only waved briefly and walked off and lost himself in the crowd. Once the Cajun was gone, John swallowed his food and gave a rather loud belch. He gave his stomach a satisfied pat, despite the fact he felt his jeans become particularly tight about the waist. He was about to 'call it a day' when he noticed Remy's half-eaten burger lying before him across the table. John glanced both ways so that no one was looking before snatching it off the table. IT was devoured within seconds.

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Rogue gave a sigh of annoyance for what felt like the millionth time. She had skimmed through every shelf of the left side of the book store had so far had found nothing remotely in her tastes. The Meg Cabot section was too girly and innocent for her tastes, _"The Da vinci Code" _was well and truly burned into her memory and she had no reason to _read_ "_Pirates of the Caribbean"_ when all she needed to do was watch the film. For the millionth time she read the blurb of the book, read the first page and stared at the cover before slipping it back on the shelf with an irritated huff. She was granted a couple of odd glances from a few customers in the book as well as a few shushes and hushes from a few irritable people. This only irritated her more. Hence, Rogue began to circle about the store again, passing by the same shelves and covers with little interest. Not knowing that a familiar face had stepped into the store or that he was making his way towards her.

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Within fifteen minutes of walking Remy had practically programmed the entirety of the Airport in his mind, every turn and bend, every level and every bench. It was a Thief's habit, analysing everything down to its core, one he hadn't been able to shake off. Now it was simply a handy little trick that he often found himself doing without actually realising it.

As he turned another bend however, one between a Café and a Book store, a conversation caught on his ears and drew in his attention. He stopped by a News Paper stand, one situated in the heart of the bend, and listened. Two men, one a janitor while the other was a male flight attendant, were sitting at a table in the open section of the Café. 

"Did you hear there's been another mutant killing in down town New York?"

"Really? What happened George?"

Said the flight attendant.

"Some damn freak with scales so far as I heard. Got caught trying to break down some poor woman's door. They say she was dating _it_ for a time. Can you imagine that? _Dating_ a _mutant?_"

"Just as bad as the mutant if they're willing to get friendly with them at all as far as I'm concerned. How did he die?"

"Some neighbour heard all the commotion and came out to see what was going on. Heard he pulled out a gun on the freak too."

"He killed _it?"_

_George, _the elderly janitor,nodded.

"Yeah. Poor fool's getting charged for it too. They're trying to bale him out saying he was only defending himself."

"Good on 'em! That kind of guts deserves rewarding."

Remy stopped listening after this. He'd heard enough. A scowl most loathsome spread across his face but it was diminished slightly by the fact that his red-on-black eyes were hidden behind a pair of shades. He didn't like hiding away his eyes but unfortunately, there was a vast majority of people, like _George_ and his friend, that found his eyes offensive; _Freakish. _He would have loved nothing more than to slip a charged card at the two men's feet but he stopped himself, knowing that if he did so, there would be another story for people to spread. How a mutant was found at the airport trying to _bomb _a Café. That would certainly impress his boss. So he crunched down on his anger and tore his gaze away from the Café. However, once he turned away, his gaze latched itself onto a familiar face and the anger was forgotten. A smirk found its way to his lips as he muttered aloud.

"Well, well. Look what de heavens let fall…"

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_**Lol bet most of ya are going "WHAT? THEY DON'T EVEN SEE EACH OTHER YET??!?!?!" But all in good time my faithful readers, all in good time. NOW press that review button and tell moi what you thought!**_

_**Cheers mates! Happy Holidays!**_

_**(1) Those of you who do not know 'The Lord of the Rings", Hobbits are greedy little things with the appetites of giants. They have eight square meals a day. 1. Breakfast 2. Second Breakfast. 3. Elevenzies. 4. Luncheon 5. Afternoon Tea. 6. Dinner. 7. Supper. 8. Dessert. So you see why I dubbed Kurt and Bobby 'hobbits' **_

_**(2) As you might have guessed. I'm not too keen on McDonalds or Burger King (or Hungry Jacks, WHATEVER!) Has anyone seen that program of "Super-Size Me"? HOW FREAKY! But incredibly mind opening, you'd think people might start listening but nooooooo. Some people don't care that their 'McNuggets' aren't made of CHICKEN at all! (I won't tell ya'll, I might put some people off Macaz for life! (which is a good thing but w/e)). **_

_**-ultimategammy91**_


	2. You Never Know who you’ll meet at an Air

_**Hey ya'll! Thanks for the reviews! **_

_**BTW – just a note, Colossus will most likely have little or no part in this story. Basically, he's gone back to Russia to care for his little sister Illyana who has the Legacy Virus. He's kept in contact with Kitty but only Rogue knows of this.**_

_**ALSO – Magneto has returned!!! You'll get more details on that LATER**_

_**IMPORTANT INFO – Just thought I'd give ya'll an idea of how old everyone is in this. **_

_**Remy: 21**_

_**John: 21**_

_**Colossus (though it is doubtful he'll make much of an entrance): 20**_

_**Rogue: 19**_

_**Kitty: 18**_

_**Jean: 20**_

_**Scott: 20**_

_**Kurt: 18**_

_**Bobby: 18**_

_**There will also be a few OC characters, so watch out for them!**_

_**-ultimategammy91**_

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**Chapter Two -****You Never Know who you'll meet at an Airport**

_**Previously…**_

_Remy stopped listening after this. He'd heard enough. A scowl most loathsome spread across his face but it was diminished slightly by the fact that his red-on-black eyes were hidden behind a pair of shades. He didn't like hiding away his eyes but unfortunately, there was a vast majority of people, like George and his friend, that found his eyes offensive; Freakish. He would have loved nothing more than to slip a charged card at the two men's feet but he stopped himself, knowing that if he did so, there would be another story for people to spread. How a mutant was found at the airport trying to bomb a Café. That would certainly impress his boss. So he crunched down on his anger and tore his gaze away from the Café. However, once he turned away, his gaze latched itself onto a familiar face and the anger was forgotten. A smirk found its way to his lips as he muttered aloud._

"_Well, well. Look what de heavens let fall…"_

_**Now…**_

Smirking, Remy watched as a familiar young woman with long flowing hair that was a mix of auburn and white stood with her gaze downcast at the book in her hand. Every inch of her, save for her face, was covered in clothing. Her hands were gloved while the rest of her body was clad in a white, long-sleave top and a pair of dark denim jeans and leather boots. A thick black coat with a hood was wrapped over her free arm while a small black back-pack was slung over one of her shoulders. Though she was a fair distance away, there was an evident and all too familiar scowl across her make-up-free face. As he took in her appearance, Remy noticed that she was a little taller than he remembered her to be and though she was more muscular looking, she had all the right curves. She was, in many respects, a young woman now. Not the scrawny Southern Goth _girl_ that he'd last seen. He found it almost unbelievable that she had changed so much in the last two years.

Remy broke from his trip down memory lane as a hurried man, in a suit and a cell phone to his ear, brushed past him with a muttered _'move it!" _before becoming lost into the sea of people on the other side of the bend. Remy glared at the back of the man's head for a moment before turning back again However, when he turned his gaze back she was gone. Furrowing his brow, Remy walked over to the glass shutter doors of the store and peered through. A smirk found its way back to his face as he spotted her; she was browsing through the shelves with that ever-present scowl across her face.

He made up his mind quickly. He was going to talk to her.

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Rogue gave another sigh as she put down yet _another_ book on its shelf. She didn't know why she even bothered anymore, there was absolutely nothing for her to read. Nothing. Nada. Zip! She would either pick something up she'd read before or something that made her stomach churn with disgust or dislike or she would pick up something that wasn't even worth picking up. She had come across the entire "Lord of the Rings" trilogy but had decided against it. She had no intention of using up an entire vacation just to read those _monsters_, no matter how _fantastic_ they were. **(Can you tell I like LOTR?) **All that she wanted was something entertaining, something with all that you needed in a good story, a problem, a leading hero or heroine, adventure, mystery, a climax in which a character either lived or died and a satisfactory ending. Hell, even a little romance in the plot line would be nice. She just had to find the book first.

Muttering to herself about _"incompetent writers"_ and _"stupid lack of good fiction"_, Rogue moved along to the "H" section and began to skip through the novels with a quick eye. She didn't even notice when the door chime rang and an all too familiar figure stepped into the store. Or when the figure's shaded eyes landed on her.

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An irritating chime rang as he opened the door. A few heads looked up from their posts within the store, some giving him suspicious glances while others just turned their gazes back to their books. Remy took very little notice of these glances. Instead his gaze immediately set itself upon the two-toned haired woman that stood at the far wall of the store near the "H" section. He made his way over to her, his footsteps silent and his composure cool and calm, like he wasn't walking up to a woman that had invaded his thoughts ever since that _trip_ they had taken down to New Orleans.

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Finally, Rogue settled upon a book that seemed at least _remotely_ interesting. From the blurb she already knew that the story was set in the France, in the early 19th century, the main hero of the story was a reformed convict who was put into incarceration of harsh labour for six years before reforming himself as the Mayor of a thriving town. The villain of the story, an extremely law-abiding but stern Chief of Police, is set on putting the hero back in his place as a convict and a _villain_. It seemed dramatic, sad and all together tragic enough for her tastes. However, before she could look into the book any further, a voice too close for comfort whispered into her ear.

"_Les Misérables__?" _Didn't know y' were into de classics _mon chérie_?"

Rogue's eyes instantly widened as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The voice was all too familiar, as was the smell of cologne, cigarettes and Southern spices. Even the smell of leather was familiar. Composing herself again, Rogue turned her head only to find a face grinning back at her, an insufferably charming grin in fact. Her brow raised in surprise as she let one word slip from her lips.

"Gambit?"

_Gambit_or more Remy LeBeau as she recalled, flashed a winning smile. His unruly hair was longer than she remembered, parted at the side, a few strands fell before his face as he looked down on her in his tall stature, most of which was concealed in a tan leather trench coat. A pair of shades concealed his unique _demon_ eyes while under his coat he seemed to be wearing a black shirt and sweater with a pair of jeans and combat boots.

"Bonjour t' y' too Roguey. Been a while _non_?"

Rogue nodded absentmindedly. He seemed older, a little more worn than she remembered, but even so, it gave him a more ruggedly handsome look. _"Wait- What?" _Rogue broke out of her thoughts, cursing silently for even _admitting_ that she found him attractive. She had to remember that she hadn't seen him in nearly two years and as far as she remembered, he'd practically forgotten about her just as much as she had forgotten him, or…so she figured. She furrowed her brow apprehensively before she spoke again.

"What are ya doin' here?"

Remy mocked a look of hurt, clutching his chest as if he heart was aching but that ever present grin was still across his face. Though he hid it well, when she had turned to look at him for the first time, he was surprised. There wasn't even a hint of the dark, gothic make-up she usually wore. Her emerald eyes were clear of all make-up while the only part of her face that was covered in make-up were her lips but it wasn't a dark purple lipstick, just a clear gloss. Her auburn and white-streaked hair was much longer than before, ending just below her shoulders while her eyes seemed brighter than he remembered. However, there was still that lingering sadness that never seemed to be able to leave her eyes.

"Same ol' Rogue. Y' could wound a _homme_ wit' dat glare o' yours _chére_."

Rogue's scowl turned to a real glare as she cocked her hip to one side and crossed her arms over her chest, the book still in hand. She repeated her question with a inquiring raised brow.

"What are ya doin' here Gambit?"

Remy gave another look of mock hurt before replying.

"T'ought we were past code names _chére?_"

"Guess not _Gambit. _Now what are ya doin' here?"

Remy only grinned at her heated retort. He loved the reaction he was getting out of her. Of course, she wasn't exactly sauntering up to him and whispering X-rated little nothings into his ear like most women tended to do, but she was talking to him at least. That was enough, for now. Leaning forward a little, Remy noticed how she flinched slightly at the action but he only grinned knowingly. From what she was wearing, her gloves and the lack of exposed flesh, he assumed that her skin was still as deadly as ever. He wasn't surprised by her reaction to his closeness but at the same time, felt a slight sense of disappointment. She didn't trust him but then what reasons had he given her to trust him at all?

"Jus' passin' through _chére_."

As he spoke, Remy shifted his gaze from her eyes to the book still in her grasp. With a thief's natural quickness, he snatched the book and looked it over while Rogue glared at him venomously before growling out a few words.

"See ya haven't changed that much, _Cajun_."

"_Qui_?"

"Snatchin' things that don't belong t' ya, for one thing. Plus not bein' able t' give straight answers!"

As Rogue's voice grew louder, a few people began to "Shush" her and sent a few annoyed glances in their direction. Remy chuckled lightly, grinning from ear to ear while Rogue only glared angrily. She made to snatch the book back but he was too quick and moved it out of her reach, grinning all the while. This didn't stop her though, she made to take it again but he only repeated his actions again and again. After a few attempts to take the book back, Rogue gave a sigh of annoyance and slight defeat. She glared up at him and a growl of frustration escaped her lips before she spoke.

"Give it back Swamp Rat."

Remy gave a low chuckle as he continued to pretend to read the blurb of the book while really all he wanted was to rile her up a bit. Fuel that hot temper of hers. So, turning back his gaze to meet her firry emerald eyes, he began to pass the book between his hands like a ball and continued to speak.

"See y' still have dat_ pet name_ f' Remy. He's touched dat y' remembered _chére_."

Rogue rolled her eyes at him. _"Yep. Definitely hasn't changed that much." _He was still the arrogant, charming and ultimately full of himself Cajun from the Bayou.

"Look, just give meh back the book-"

She made to grab it once more but Remy only raised it high over her head, clear out of her reach. He gave a low chuckle before raising a gloved finger, shaking it side to side as he muttered a 'tsk tsk' before speaking up again.

"_Chére. _Y' know what dey say about manners _non_? Ask Remy nicely _et_ he'll give y' de book back. _D'accord?_"

Rogue narrowed her eyes at him but the smirk across his face never ceased to broaden with amusement. She knew he was enjoying this but she really did want that book back. So, giving a sigh of defeat and cocking her hip to the side as she kept her gaze turned, she asked _nicely._

"Can ah _please_ have mah book back?"

"Please _who_?"

She glowered at him just a little harder. Her fist clenching slightly as she crossed her arms once more.

"_Please, Gambit, _can ah have mah book back?"

"_Non_."

"And why not?"

Her raised response gained her a couple of more shushes and He was really toying with her patience now but even so, he continued to tease and annoy her. Leaning just a little closer, Remy lowered his voice as he replied.

"Because, _mon chére, _y' didn't ask _Remy. _Gambit is only _mon _codename. Use his _real _name _et _y' can have y' book back."

"Same could be said for ya with this whole _'chérie' _business _Cajun_."

"Mais, y' not holdin' somet'ing t' bargain wit'. Unless y' be t'inkin' o' somet'ing _else. _Eh _mon chére?_"

Rogue rolled her eyes, disgusted as he wiggled his eye brows suggestively. The little _sick_ mind game he was playing was childish, stupid and utterly the most irritating thing he had managed to do since randomly stepping back into her life. Glaring at him again with her head slightly tilted to the side, she _asked_ for the last time.

"Remy would ya _please_ give meh back mah book?"

"What book?"

A frustrated growl escaped her lips as she unfolded her arms and made to snatch the damn thing from his hands. However, not a moment into the struggle, a sudden clearing of a throat broke the tension. Remy and Rogue turned their heads to meet the gaze of a particularly annoyed, and not to mention batty-looking, store manager. Her cold blue eyes shifted from one to the other, her lips pursing to a very thin line while her arms remained folded in defiance. Her witch-like appearance of wrinkly skin, frizzy grey hair and her icy glare made her seem almost fiction worthy as she began to round on the two. Her voice was full of annoyance as she began to whisper harshly at them like an angered cat.

"Excuse me, but can either of you people read? The sign says _"Silence please" _for good reason! Now, I have been getting more than enough complaints from our other customers about your _noisy behaviour_, I must ask you two to _leave_."

"_Désolé Madame_, we were-"

"Out!"

With this order, the store manager pointed towards the door, an angry glare spread across her wrinkly face. She used her icy glare as her only weapon but even so, it was enough to send Rogue and Remy packing out the door. However, Remy wasn't quite out of the line of fire. As soon as the two stepped out of the store, Rogue turned on Remy and gave him a hard smack to the chest while a glare was set across her face. Remy gave a slight wince but nonetheless chuckled at her actions. He smirked from ear to ear when Rogue began to round on him.

"What the hell is wrong with ya Gambit?!"

"Oh come on _chére_, dat wasn't Remy's fault. Y' were de one yellin'." 

Rogue made to yell at him but stopped before the words could come screaming out of her mouth. He did have a point but that didn't mean she was going to let him off for this. Crossing her arms and cocking her hip to the side again, an almost trade-mark action, she growled out a somewhat less angry response.

"If ya hadn't started playin' games an' just gave me back that book, maybe ah wouldn't have had to yell at ya!"

Again, Remy just smirked, making Rogue growl in frustration for possibly the millionth time that _hour. _She would've wanted nothing more than to rip his hair out of his head just to see the smirk on his face fall off.

"Well if y' had asked _Remy_ den maybe y' wouldn't had t' yell an' we wouldn't be in dis situation. _Hein?"_

Rogue narrowed her eyes to slits. _"That's it. Ah've had enough!"_ With her scowl set, she turned on her heal and made to walk off, calling back an irritated response as she went.

"Have a nice life LeBeau-"

This, Remy had not expected. Firstly, he had not expected her to give in so quickly and turn away. Secondly, he had not expected for his hand to reach out, grab her gloved hand in his and pull her back to face him. Rogue hadn't expected it either. When his hand grasped her own, she felt like a little alarm in her mind had sounded off. The alarm often rang whenever she came into actual contact with someone, even through gloved hands. This time however, the alarm was silenced just as soon as she raised her gaze to meet his. They stayed frozen in this hold for about thirty seconds before Remy actually spoke, his voice pleading with her almost.

"Come on Rogue. Don't be like dat. We haven't seen each other in years an' y' wanna say _adieu _over a lil' ol' book?"

Rogue eyed him suspiciously. Why was he trying to keep her talking to him? After two years of absolutely _nothing_, not a whisper or a calling card, he decided _now_ that they should be talking to each other? They barely even knew each other!

"Ah dunno Remy…"

Remy grinned. She'd used his name. That must have meant she was calming down, so, not one to take a present and ask for the recept, he kept a firm hold on her hand and pulled her towards the Café across the way.

"Come on. Let Remy make it up t' y' by buyin' y' a Coffee."

Rogue eyed him suspiciously before replying.

"Ya don't plan on kidnappin' meh again do ya?"

Remy chuckled amusedly. Though she was following him to the Café, despite taking her hand from his in the process, he couldn't help but think- "_She still don't trust moi." _When they reached the Café door, Remy, like the gentleman he claimed to be, opened the door for her with a mock bow and a smirk as he spoke.

"Chére, if Remy was kidnappin' y', do y' t'ink y'd be walkin' wit' Remy?"

Rogue rolled her eyes as replied while stepping through the door.

"Dunno. Ya wasted a lot o' tahme lyin' t' meh the last tahme. Ya might have changed a few trait skills since then."

Remy only chuckled as he walked in after her.

"Y' haven't changed _chére_."

"Neither have ya." 

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_**WOAH! Over 3,000 words! Must end it there. Wow, I really didn't expect to go that far with this chapter. I thought it would be SHORT. Ah well, more entertainment for ya'll. Now press that review button and tell me what you think and if you have any questions, I'm all ears!**_

_**-ultimategammy91**_


	3. Coincidences: Part 1

Hey everyone

_**Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for the late update. My computer has been out of orbit for about 2 weeks. First my internet connection (for my entire house) went out of wack and then my power engine in my computer fused up and died. I had to get my dad to help me install another one. It was a real pain cuz it wouldn't work when he put together and so my dad decided to take it to the shop to get it "professionally fixed" only for it to start working the moment the guy plugs it in!! GRRR!! I HATE my computer. Its five years old, outdated and needed to make its way to COMPUTER HELL!! **_

_**-sigh- ok moving on.**_

_**-Ultimategammy91**_

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_**Chapter Three – Coincidences: Part 1**_

"_What am I doing?" _The thought rang through Rogue's mind like a song put on repeat. The words played over and over and over again in her mind as she walked, with Gambit- _Remy_ right behind her, as they made their way into the small yet homely café. She didn't know why she let him lead her away, maybe it was his eyes (again), they were hypnotic but she was sure that it wasn't that. She didn't trust him, that couldn't be it, but then there was a part of her that _wanted_ to _try. _Rogue mentally scoffed at the thought. _**Her**__ wanting_ to _trust_ _Remy LeBeau? _What _was_ she doing? Before she could decipher the issue any further, Rogue felt that alarm in the back of her mind run off again, this time when Remy grasped her by the elbow and led her towards the line at the front of the front counter. They stood for a few minutes, him behind her, while waiting for the practically _dead_ line to move along. There were a few people in front of them, all either sleep deprived, grumpy or a mixture of both, but none of them seemed very sociable because there was a dead silence amongst the coffee line. That was until Remy spoke up, his voice lowered so that only she could hear, knowing the risk of someone catching onto the subject of their conversation.

"So, how has _mon chére_ been dese past two years? Savin' de world one super-villain at a time _non_?"

Rogue gave a small snort at his last sentence but nonetheless replied. She found no reason to be bitter with him. _Yet._

"On an' off. An' yaself? Are ya still workin' for _Bucket-Head_ an' his _worthy_ cause?"

Remy chuckled at her mockery of _Magneto's _"bucket-head" but the chuckle didn't exactly meet his eyes. The truth was, unfortunately, he _was_ still working for _Bucket-Head_ **(I find that name all so suiting for Magneto. Don't you?) **and since she was still working for _Xavier_, he knew it would be foolish and careless to tell her the truth. Even if it felt a little, well, _wrong _to be lying to her _again. _He knew he was supposed to learn from his mistakes, not repeat them but in the circumstances, he found it necessary to lie. At least until he could explain things in the full without being overheard by anti-mutant ears. When he replied, he put his poker-face on and kept that ever-present grin across his face.

"_Non_. Remy be workin' for himself dese days."

"Always the thief _huh?"_

He grinned from ear to ear.

"Always."

She rolled her eyes at him but there was amusement in her eyes as she did so. Remy took this as a good sign and gladly moved onto a new subject so not to swim into dangerous waters again or at least until he was prepared to do so.

"Y' know, Remy half didn't recognise y' in dat store back dere. Y' changed."

Rogue furrowed her brow at him.

"What happened t' '_same ol' Rogue'? _Ah believe those were ya chosen words?"

Remy smirked.

"Quotin' Remy, _chére_?"

"Jus' statin' a fact Swamp Rat."

Remy chuckled at the use of the pet name but replied without a comeback in tow.

"What Remy meant to say is, y' still de ol' Rogue he remembers _mais_ y' _look_ different. _Cependant, il vous est toujours belle à regarder Remy._" (Though, you will always look beautiful to Remy)

Remy grinned with amusement as Rogue's cheeks flushed pink but her eyes quickly turned to slits before she _lightly _punched him in the shoulder. Remy was rubbing his shoulder, chuckling, before he dared speak again.

"_Et Tempérés chauds." _(And hot tempered)

Rogue glared at him menacingly and raised a clenched fist of warning between them as she spoke. Her teeth gritted slightly as she growled.

"Do ya want a matchin' bruise on ya other shoulder?"

"Y' can touch Remy however y' want chérie. Remy don' mind. 'Specially-"

Rogue turned her clenched fist to a pointed index before she jabbed him in the shoulder, silencing him. She grumbled irritably as she _managed_ to keep her tone of voice down though her words still hissed through her teeth.

"_Don't start_. Ah do not want to get kicked outta here _too_."

"_D'accord."_

It was then that the line actually gave proof of its actual movement by allowing the two of them to come to the front of the line to place their orders. The waitress, a half-asleep yet vaguely consciously young woman, gave the two an uninteresting glance before asking in an equally dull tone.

"Welcome to Margo's Café. What can I do for you?"

"A Long Black wit' a side o' vanilla ice cream-"

As soon as the words came out of both Southerner's mouths, they stopped mid-sentence and caught each other's gaze. An amused smirk spread across Remy's face while Rogue raised a brow of curiosity and slight surprise. The two were silent for about two seconds before they both snorted and chuckled amiably at each other while the waitress just rolled her eyes and let out a sleepy yawn at the two of them. When the amusement of the moment died down, Remy turned to the waitress and place their coincidental orders.

"Two long blacks wit' a side o' vanilla ice cream- Y' want anyt'ing else wit' dat _chére_?"

He turned back to Rogue but she just shook her head.

"Nah, ah'm good wit' the coffee."

Remy nodded before handing the waitress a twenty dollar bill and taking their table number. **(God, I feel like I'm at work right now, writing this. As you might guess, I work at a Café. But its waaaay better than this imaginary place). **With their orders in, Remy once again led Rogue away only to stop at a small table situated at a window. Like the gentleman he claimed himself to be (to which Rogue scoffed at repeatedly), he pulled out a chair for her. However, instead of taking it as a woman should, she walked over to _his_ chair and sat down. Remy tried not to show his disappointment or the blow to his ego as he took the seat he'd pulled out and sat down.

"Wouldn't take ya for a guy who drinks black coffee with ice cream in it Cajun. Thought ya were the expresso an' bourbon type or somethin'?"

Remy chuckled at the stereotype but he couldn't help but think the same of her.

"Could say de same f' y' _chérie_. _Mais,_ y' look more like a Cappuccino or a Mocha t' Remy."

Rogue gave a small smile but merely shook her head as a response before speaking.

"Guess it's just a weird coincidence. Lahke runnin' into ya at the airport."

Remy grinned in agreement.

"De fates mus' be bent on tryin' t' get us together _non_?"

Rogue blushed but rolled her eyes nonetheless at his remark. _"He jus' can't help himself…"_

"_Non. _That's jus' ya an' that charmer thing ya have goin'. Ah bet ya've said that to about a million other girls."

"Not dat many have deir coffee with Vanilla ice cream in it. Jus' y'."

Rogue rolled her eyes for what felt like the hundredth-millionth time of that hour while Remy's grin just continued to get broader and broader by each comment. She decided that his ego needed some neglect-time, so moved onto another subject.

"So. Where is it ya headin' to from here? New Orleans?"

Remy smirked. **(God, he does a lot of this doesn't he?)**

"Y' fancy anot'er trip t' de Bayou _chére_?"

"No. An' for the millionth tahme, don't call meh that!"

Remy chuckled as her cheeks turned that lovely shade of pink again. He rather liked the colour her cheeks went when she was angry but even more so when she was embarrassed. It gave her skin a rosy glow that he found most attractive, especially on her- Remy quickly broke out of that trail of thoughts as he noticed Rogue was waiting for an answer to her question. He kept cool as he replied.

"Remy has business out o' de states. He be makin' a few stops her an' dere."

He lied of course about the _"here and there"_ part but the part about _"business"_ was true. Magneto had assigned both himself and John on a mission-

"Lemme guess. Ya Dad got himself into another jam wit' them- Robbers- or whoever they are." 

She waved her hand as if to swat the name away or something which broke Remy from his thoughts once more. He smiled, amused by her mistake of names, before replying.

"De Rippers. _Mais, non. _Dis isn't another rescue mission t' save _mon Pére_. If it was, wouldn't y' be on f' de ride?"

Rogue huffed, blowing a strand of white hair out of her eyes, and leant back in her chair with her arms crossed.

"Only if _ya_ decided t' drag meh along in another train or somethin'."

"Or a plane."

"Or a pl- Hey! Don't ya get any ideas. Ah am _not_ takin' another _field trip from hell_ with ya!"

Remy let a hearty laugh escape his lips at the look of outrage across the face of the Southern Belle before him. Only when his laughter died down to small chuckles did he speak again.

"Don't y' worry _belle. _De next time we take another trip, y' will be goin' o' y' own free will. Thieves honour."

He crossed his heart to show his point but Rogue only rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest once more.

"Lahke that's gonna happen anytime soon."

"Y' may regret sayin' dat chére. We jus' ran into each other at an airport- where dere was a small chance o' dat happening. _Et _we jus' ordered de exact same coffees. Who knows what de fates may have in store f' us, _non_?"

Rogue simply shrugged off her answer. She didn't believe in fate and she most certainly didn't believe that they'd be off to some country together, especially by her own free will. It would take a miracle for that to happen or in her opinion, a freezing day in hell. As Rogue continued to think of reasons against the idea, a waitress walked over to them and laid down their coffees before them on the table. This waitress, a curvy dark-haired girl, was much more attentive than the one at the counter, especially towards Remy. She gave Rogue her coffee first, almost carelessly, before turning to Remy and placing his down over his shoulder. As she shifted her arm back to her side, she grazed her arm gently over his shoulder and smiled at him, practically undressing him with her eyes. Rogue watched in disgust as Remy returned the smile with his own winning smirk before the waitress (reluctantly) left them alone. When Remy turned his gaze back to Rogue, he was amused to find that her eyes were downcast as she sipped her coffee and a scowl was drawn across her face. He had been fully aware of the look of disgust across her face when the waitress had flirted with him and truthfully, it pleased him. He imaged that there was perhaps a little more than disgust in the look she gave. Jealousy maybe?

Smirking again, he spoke up.

"Didn't take y' as de jealous type _chére_?"

Rogue's head shot up as her stomach flipped. She held down her anger that threatened to burst through her mouth. There was no way she was going to give that ego of his another satisfying boost.

"_Jealous_? Of ya an' _her_? Disgusted, yes. Jealous, most unlahkely."

Remy chuckled, amused once more. _"Liar."_

"Always t'ought y' cared Roguey."

"Then ya mus' beh thinkin' wrong. B'cause ah-"

Rogue stopped mid-sentence as a familiar ring tone rang and a vibration began to buzz against her hip from inside her right jeans pocket. _Timberland featuring One Republic's "Apologize"_ became louder as she pulled out her black and silver flip-top phone, causing a few customers around the Café to eye her with glaring eyes. When Rogue opened her phone she found Kitty's Id flashing on the screen with a message in tow. She opened it and read it quickly only for her eyes to widen.

_**Now boarding 1**__**st**__** class passengers! Get here NOW! Plane leaving in 5 mins! **_

_**From: Kitty**_

_**Time: 2:41 PM**_

Remy watched as Rogue's eyes widened, his expression bemused as he felt her emotions switch from annoyance, to curiosity and now to anxiety. He was about to ask if there was anything wrong when he felt the vibration of his own cell phone from within his coat pocket. He pulled it out only to curse silently as he read it.

_**Plane's leaving in 5 mins! Get ur ass dwn here!**_

_**From: John**_

_**Time: 2:42PM**_

Remy was about to turn to Rogue to apologize that he had to cut their _"date"_ short but he beat him to the punch. When he turned to face her, she was already closing her phone and quickly slipping it into her pocket as she spoke.

"Looks lahke the date's over Cajun- ah gotta go-"

She stood up in a rush, her bag strap already slipped over her shoulder as she grabbed her coat. However, for some reason that he didn't really know, Remy felt himself rising from his seat and grasping her arm in a firm hold. She stopped talking mid-sentence as he spoke up.

"Y' want Remy t' walk y' t' y' gate?"

Rogue rolled her eyes but at the same time felt her cheeks blush pink. Why was he still trying to hang around her? She was about to ask but as soon as she did she felt that familiar buzz and ring-tone of her phone. Though she didn't answer it, she knew it was Kitty. She knew she didn't have the time to play Remy's little game of hearts. No matter how much that little voice in the back of her mind was telling her to say "okay" and let him walk her to her gate but then the voice of reason spoke up and she knew she didn't have time to spare. Giving a sigh of defeat and slight frustration, she shook her head as she replied.

"Look Swamp Rat, ah appreciate it but ah _really_ gotta go. Mah plane's leavin' any tahme now an' mah friend's about t' have a heart attack if ah don't get there now."

Remy made to make another excuse but again his action plan was stopped by another vibrate from his phone. He had to leave too, oddly enough. So, nodding in understanding before beaming a winning grin, Remy moved his hand from her arm to her hand and brought it to his lips. His eyes grinned as he watched Rogue roll her eyes at him for the clichéd kiss-on-the-hand but also noticed that a hint of a blush spread across her face as well. When the kissed ended, he let her gloved hand go and spoke.

"Until another day den. Take care o' y' self _non_?"

Rogue, for one of the few times that hour, smirked back at him before replying.

"What makes ya think ah can'te?"

"Oh Remy don't doubt dat chére. _Mais_, can't be too careful at times _non_?"

Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Ah guess. Look, this was- well, whatever it was, it was nahce t' see ya again."

That definitely widened his grin (not to mention the height of his ego) but before he could get too happy, she shot his ego down with a silver bullet.

"Though ah still think ya the same ol' good for nothin', snake-charmer thief from N'Orleans."

Even so, Remy couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as he replied. He moved just a little closer to her as his voice turned husky and low so that only she could hear him.

"Y' forgot t' mention sexy _et_ de hottest guy y've ever had coffee wit' _non_?"

Rogue rolled her eyes. He was shamelessly impossible. Hell, he was s_hamelessly, sexy and impossible._ She was about to retort when her phone went off again and that female announcement voice began to announce her plane's departure. _Finally._

"_Passengers on flight 21649 to Saint Vincent, your flight is about to depart. Please immediately make your way to Gate 17. We apologize for causing any incontinences."_

"See ya some other tahme Cajun."

Remy nodded, a smirk still beaming across his face, and Rogue made to turn around and head towards the exit but was stopped in her tracks when she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist and a muscular yet lean chest press against her back, freezing her in her place. It took her several moments and a lot of blinking before she realised that Remy LeBeau was actually hugging her. She felt his heated breath on the back of her neck as he whispered something into her ear.

"Some time soon I hope."

Rogue felt a strange chill run down her spine but before she could turn around or answer, she felt his arms unwrap from around her waist and his warm presence disappear in a flash. When she finally turned around, he was gone.

"_Final call for passengers on flight 21649 to Saint Vincent. Departing in two minutes…"_

"Shit!"

Rogue managed to hiss the curse between her teeth before she left the Café in a sprint.

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_**Okay must leave it there. This is a very long chapter! Next, more coincidences arise! Can you guess what they are?? REVIEW!**_

_**-ultimategammy91 **_


	4. Coincidences: Part 2

Hey ya'll

_**Hey ya'll! Hope everyone liked the last chapter. I had fun writing it. Now, just a warning, there will be long waiting periods between updates cuz I'm back at school. And unfortunately, school comes first. Thanks for all the reviews everyone! Loving the attention here! **_

_**-Ultimategammy91**_

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_**Chapter Four – Coincidences: Part 2 **_

Giving an irritable sigh, Kitty let her newly-polished nails tap against the arm rest of her seat. She ignored the annoyed glares and looks of passengers around her as she continued to tap instantaneously for the next ten minutes. That is until she gave a rather angry sigh before practically ripping her cell phone out of her white sweater pocket. The plane was about to leave any time now and everyone _but_ Rogue was seated and waiting to _finally_ get up in the air. She quickly dialled Rogue's number and held the phone to her ear. The phone rang continuously as she persisted in tapping her fingers in the same irritable way. It rang a couple more times before the line went dead and that female phone voice began to recite the usual _"You call was not answered"_ routine. Kitty growled angrily as she stopped tapping her nails (much to the other passengers' relief) and slouched in her seat as she crossed her arms, pouting.

"_Where is she??"_

When she had been tapped awake by Jean back at the front gate, she had found Rogue missing and the gate doors open to first-class passengers and parents flying with children. When Rogue hadn't shown up within the first three or four flight calls, she'd told Jean, Scott, Bobby and Kurt (who had just arrived in time) to board the plane while she waited at the gate for Rogue. She waited fifteen minutes before being asked to board the plane by one of the flight hostesses, whom, after Kitty explained the situation, promised to make sure that the plane remained grounded and the gates open until Rogue turned up. Ten minutes later however, there was still no Rogue. Kitty was about to redial again when she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"She isn't here yet?"

Kitty nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice but quickly recovered when she realised who the voice belonged to. Turning to face him, Kitty let out a sigh of relief and put a hand to her heart before talking or more, hissing as her cheeks flushed pink in her growing anger.

"Kurt! _Don't do_ _that!_ You know I totally hate it when people sneak up on me!"

Kurt rolled his holographic brown eyes. His image inducer allowed him to appear as _normal_ as any other guy but underneath he was still the teleporting fuzzy blue elf that kept _popping up _unexpectedly. As of now however, he appeared as a pale, dark-haired young man in a pair of jeans, runners and a long-sleave light-blue jersey over a white T-shirt and a crossword book in hand (his latest _'thing')_. There wasn't a trace of the usual fuzzy blue elf save for the fact that his index and middle finger sort of 'stuck' together as did his pinkie and forth finger. Just because he was wearing an image inducer didn't mean he could instantly _grow_ two extra digits with a push of a button. Nonetheless, five digits or three, Kurt held up his hands in mock defence as he spoke.

"Jeez. Sorry. Maybe I should try _not speaking_ the next time I try and _talk_ to you so you don't totally _freak out."_

Kitty raised a brow at him, a look that obviously unimpressed at his sarcastic retort. Though Kurt was usually the joker and the prankster of the team, he often had his moments where he took on his sister's traits. One being sarcasm, the other, reluctance when Kitty offered to set him up on a date with one of _her_ friends. However, unlike Rogue, his sarcastic moment didn't last long. Instead, he raised the crossword book in his hands and put it about a centimetre away from Kitty's face as he spoke.

"Anyvay, can you help me? Vhat's a ten letter vord zhat starts vith "C" and ends with "A" and has something to do vith Humphrey Bogart?" (1)

Kitty rolled her eyes. She didn't have time for this. So, putting her hands on her hips in a very _Rogue-like_ fashion **(Rogue mannerisms are getting contagious!)** she began to round on her friend.

"Kurt, I so _don't_ have time for this! The plane is about to leave anytime now and Rogue isn't here yet and-"

"Vait- Rogue isn't here yet?"

"Yeah duh? You were with us the whole time we totally covered that _right_?"

Kurt merely looked at her blankly and blinked. However, before Kurt could reply, he was tapped on the shoulder. When he turned around, he found a blonde flight hostess who gave him an (obviously) rehearsed and polite smile. When she spoke however, her pleasant tone of voice was no different than her _sweet charade_ of a smile.

"Excuse me sir, -_miss_, but you will have to take a seat and fasten your seat belts. We are about to shut the doors for take-"

"_No!"_

Both mutants piped up in union at a now slightly startled flight hostess.

"You can't shut the doors! My friend isn't, like, here yet! That other lady, -the red head- She said they would keep the doors like, open until she got here!"

The woman's smile cracked. She tilted her head ever so slightly to the left, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly as she _gently_ reached out to Kurt and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. As she spoke, she pushed (more like forced) him into the vacant seat besides Kitty. Her voice remained all too automatic and _pleasant_ when she spoke up again that it was almost film-worthy; of the horror movie kind.

"I am sorry _miss,_ but we _are_ going to close the doors soon and I am afraid your friend will have to reschedule her ticket on _another _flight. Now if you please, _sit down_ and fasten your seat belts, thank you."

With that, the flight hostess turned on her heel and walked back down the isle. Kitty and Kurt remained seated for about a minute, frozen in place before either one of them spoke. Their faces were neutral of most expressions save for the continuous action of _blinking_ in silence.

"That was…"

"Creepy…"

"Totally…"

"What's so creepy?"

Kurt and Kitty's heads turned automatically in union at the voice only to break into speech at the same time, though not with the same sentiment.

"_Rogue! _You made it _meine schwester_!_" _(my sister)

"Where have you, like, been? We just had to stand up to a total _Go-Joy _flight hostess to try and get them to delay the plane for even LONGER_!_"

Rogue rolled her eyes at their _dramatic _responses. She could practically smell Kitty's annoyance and her death glare but she took little notice. Kitty was in pre-flight mode. She was highly irritable, tense and overly dramatic, the latter being the latest addition to the list of 'symptoms.'

"_Passengers please be seated. We are preparing for take off."_

Rogue eyed her plane ticket. She was supposed to be sitting next to Kitty but from the looks of it, Kitty was likely to chew her out for being 'irresponsible' or some kind of pre-flight-mode-induced bull she didn't want to put up with. So, with haste, she backed away.

"Seein' as ya'll are comfortable, ah'll take Kurt's seat- bye!"

Before Kurt could retort (or beg) Rogue not to leave him with Kitty, she turned on her heel and headed towards Kurt's vacant seat a few rows behind. She promised herself she'd make it up to Kurt later. _Much_ later.

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_**Meanwhile…**_

"Miss me _mon ami_?"

Remy had to smirk with amusement as John practically jumped out of his seat like he suddenly realised the chair was on fire, but he relaxed when he realised just who it was who had startled him in the first place. He clasped his hand over his heart, letting out a relived sigh before replying.

"Jezus mate, y' scared the bloody crap outta me! You want me t' have a heart attack or somethin'?! Bloody hell…"

Remy chuckled as he slipped off his coat in the isle. He had arrived just in time. The gate was only moments away from being shut. A rather stern male flight attendant had given him a somewhat irritable glare when he ran up to the gate front and presented his ticket and passport, smirking unashamedly, but other than that, it was a breeze. Though how John had been able to find his seat let alone the right gate on his own had been somewhat surprising. While he had nothing against the Aussie, John was prone to stupidity at the worst of times. These thoughts ran for a moment through Remy's mind as he flattened his trench coat over his arm but that didn't stop his eyes form wandering down the isle. However, his train of thoughts completely died when his eyes caught on _someone_ who was walking down the isle…towards him_._

"_Well, well. Dis is unexpected…" _

He watched as Rogue quickly walked down the isle, her eyes searching down the rows of seats, not even noticing him. Smart-ass lines and teasing remarks rang through his mind. _"Funny seein' y' here chére?. "T'ought we'd run into each other sooner or later, mais, quicker den we anticipated non?"_ Before he could even pick one to use, she slipped into a isle seat not seven or eight rows ahead of him. Remy's face fell slightly but it did not discourage him. He put on a winning smile as he stood up from his seat and walked towards her, ignoring John's questioning as he walked away. He was but a few steps away from her, a few lines still running about his head, when who was to appear at Rogue's side but the Fearless Leader of the X-Men himself, Scott Summers. Totally discouraged, or more, annoyed, Remy quickly turned on his heal and walked back in the direction of his seat, cursing silently to himself. He quickly seated himself before carefully turning to look down the isle. Watching, he saw the two talk, or argue quietly, before Rogue let out a huff of annoyance and got out of her seat only for Scott to shuffle into the window seat. Rogue returned to the outside set with a sigh of annoyance on her lips. Remy rolled his eyes, equally as irritable as her.

Now he knew _who_ _else _was with her, he assumed that there was a team of X-Men pals not far behind. Curiously, he took another cautious glance down the isle, only to watch as an oddly familiar boy- young man, with should-length dark hair and pale skin, approach Rogue with a book in hand. Though he couldn't hear what they were saying, Remy could work out by the mock-pleading look across the guy's face that he was grovelling for something. He couldn't really see Rogue's face but nonetheless he watched as the top of her head, which he could just see above the head rest, disappeared for a moment. She took her time appearing again as if she were distracted. Remy had been trained to be a thief since he was old enough to talk, and with that training came the art of observing others, reading their actions to draw conclusions that might aid in the process of a heist or steal. He kept close watch of her movements and that of the young man beside her. Finally, she handed him a pen and the boy walked off and she was motionless once more.

Remy turned away, grinning. He had a feeling he knew what the distraction had been.

"What you so happy 'bout mate?"

Remy only smirked as he replied.

"Not'ing Johnny boy. Jus' t'inkin'."

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_**Meanwhile, moments before…**_

Rogue sat down in the first seat on the outside isle and let a sigh of relief wash over her. She had had to sprint to the gate and had only made it just in time before the gates were closed off. She had given the red-headed flight hostess a grateful smile and a thankyou before running down the platform to bord the plane. She let her breathing catch up to her but she felt herself constricted of air in her coat and layers of clothing. It may be minus-something outside, but the plane was heated. She began to slip off her coat when a figure came up beside her and made her jump slightly in her seat.

"Wasn't Kurt going to sit there?"

Rogue looked up to find Scott's perplexed expression as he stood with his bag over one shoulder and his ticket and passport in the other. She rolled her eyes and replied irritably.

"He's been moved to Kitty-class."

If Scott hadn't been wearing his quarts shades, Rogue was sure he would be glaring at her with boy-scout-leader-disapproval. But if he was annoyed, he did not say anything about it. Instead, he told her to move. Sorry, _asked_ her to move.

"I can't get past. Do you think you could move out Rogue?"

Rogue rolled her eyes and lifted the armrest in between the two seats and made to shift to the window seat but Scott's voice stopped her. 

"That's my seat."

Rogue gave a huff of annoyance.

"Does it really matter?"

This time you _could_ tell that Scott was glaring. Rogue matched his glare but it quickly waned as she gave up and pulled herself out of the chair and into the isle. She tapped her foot irritably as Scott shuffled into the window seat and sat himself down before following suit, huffing loudly to show her annoyance towards her fearless leader.

"_And t' think. Ah used t' have a crush on this guy. THIS GUY."_

"Rogue, can you lend me a pen?"

Rogue jumped in her seat for the second time. Growling silently, she turned her gaze to meet Kurt's pleading stare. Raising a brow at him she gave a sigh and asked.

"Can't ya ask Kit?"

Kurt pouted as he whined like a ten year old that didn't get any party cake.

"_Rogue_ Kitty's finally stopped freaking out because "Ten Thing I hate about You" came on the in-flight movie channel. Do you really want me to disturb her?"

Rogue eyed him with a raised brow for a moment but the pouting, pleading look that Kurt supplied her with was all too much even for her hostile defences. Sighing in defeat she leant forward and pulled her bag from under her seat. She began to rummage though her bag in search of a pen when something rather large and bulky got in her way. Furrowing her brow in a confused frown, she pulled out a pen in one hand and… _"A book?"_ in the other.

"Did you buy a book?"

Rogue flinched slightly as she broke out of her small daze at her brother's questioning. Nodding slowly, she turned and handed Kurt the pen who thanked her before leaving. Rogue took little notice of his departure as she eyed the book with interest. Victor Hugo's _Les Misérables_ stared up at her like neon lights as realisation dawned on her. A small, private smirk spread across her face as she chuckled silently to herself.

"_That sneaky Swamp Rat…"_

She opened the front, paper-back cover of the book but stopped in mid-action when something slipped out from between the first and second pages and fell into her lap. She caught it quickly before it could slip onto the floor only to quickly recognise what it was. She rotated the Ace of Spades in her fingers only to find a small note inscribed on the back. The black ink highlighted against the red cover pattern of the card.

_**It was nice to see you again mon chére. Désolé about making a scene in the book store. Consider the book an apology.**_

_**-Remy**_

Rogue felt a small smile tug at her lips as she slumped further down in her seat.

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_**I am so sorry for the long wait but I've been through exams and its been pretty hectic lately :D REVIEW PLEASE! NO FLAMES!**_

_**Special thanks to Shadowfax999 for giving me the encouragement and poking me to update and the info about the Saint Vincent. Couldn't have done anything without your help! :D **_

_**(1) Casablanca – You know? Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall (sorry for the misspelling of her last name, I don't know and don't really care) **_

_**-UltimateGammy91**_


	5. First Impressions

Hey ya'll

_**Hey ya'll! Thanks so much for the reviews. Glad that nobody has deliberately forgotten me because of my lack of quick updates. But I'm afraid that's how the dice roll. Slow :P I'll try my best to update whenever I can.**_

_**-UltimateGammy91**_

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**Chapter Five – First Impressions **

Sunny beaches, summer heat, warm breezes and blue skies. These visions of their holiday destination, or something similar, had been kept in mind since the trip had been put into place. However, after landing and making their way towards the boat wharfs to catch a speed boat to Saint Vincent, they found a totally different picture before them. The sky were dark and angry with rain clouds ready to pour any moment, the streets were still damp from an earlier shower and the surrounding hill tops were green and dangerous looking without a clear beach in sight. The only thing that met their expectations was the fact that there was a warm breeze blowing in their faces. Rogue wanted to _die._ Not only were her clothes practically _glued_ to her skin in sweat but she could feel her face begin to turn flush pink in the humidity. At that rate, if she didn't get the chance to change into something less snow-suited, she _would_ die. The six of them stood on the dock edge, their cases at their sides, while there wasn't another soul in sight. It had been _organised_ by the travel agent to have a speed boat pick them up from the wharf that stood a little away from the airport **(1)**. So far, there wasn't even a sign of human life expect for them and the fact that there were about six or so boats in the wharf. They were there for fifteen minutes in relative silence before Kitty broke it with an irritated growl. She came prepared on the flight, having worn her _Saint Vincent_ clothes under her winter attire and had promptly changed in the aeroplane toilets before they touched down at the airport. She donned a floral, pink and white crop top and a pair of denim short-shorts. A white cardigan was wrapped around her waist while a large, bright pink sun-hat and matching large sunglasses hid away half of her face. Kitty frowned moodily as she sat on the top of her suitcase with one leg propped over the other. Her chin cupped in her hand she rested her elbow on her knee.

"They, like, said they would be waiting for us _before_ we even get here! And what do you know! They're not here and we've been waiting for, like, twenty minutes!"

The others either shifted their gaze or, in Rogue's case, rolled their eyes at Kitty's words but dared not to leave her waiting. Kitty's travelling mood swings were unlikely to settle down until they got the hotel, they didn't need any added _bonuses. _So, to everyone's unspoke relief, Jean replied.

"Don't worry Kitty, they're probably having boat trouble. The weather must have been rough when they were supposed to come out here. Maybe they're stuck at the hotel wharf?"

Kitty muttered something indistinguishable as she turned her head away from her comrades and set her hidden gaze on the dark horizon. The sea was the same colour as the sky; grey and dark. However, it wasn't as turbulent as the sky protested. It was actually relatively calm. Rogue found herself staring out to the sea as well as she sat atop her suitcase with her coat over her lap. She tried to ward off the feeling of _melting_ by thinking about the cool feeling of ocean water. It didn't help much but it was thought that kept her from bad-mouthing the boat people like she _knew _Kitty was doing. At the thought of them, as if jinxed, a small white dot in the distance caught Rogue's eye from across the horizon. It came out from a rocky edge just out of the wharf's mouth, growing bigger and bigger as it drew nearer. Rogue squinted to make out what it was but before she could even name what it was out loud, Kitty beat her to the punch in a half-irritated, half-relieved exclaim.

"_Finally! _It's the boat! Oh my god, I am so, like, going to-"

"Kitty- calm down, they might have had boat troubles, They must have some kind of explanation…"

Rogue ignored Scott's scolding as she focused on the boat that began to slow as it settled at the end of the closest fifteen-metre jetty. The boat had an open roof, made of fabric instead of metal or plastic while the rest of the boat was a mix of white, metal grey and the name _Pelagia II _written in aquamarine-blue across the sides. Two dark figures stood at the helm, hidden from clear sight in by the distance between the two parties. They heard the engine calmed to a low rumble as it came to stop beside the jetty. One of the figures, a young woman or girl they presumed, got out of the boat and tied a rope to a near-by post. The other figure, a man no doubt, waved a strong hand at them and though they could not see his face exactly, they assumed he was smiling welcomingly. Taking that as a signal to move, the mutants gathered their bags and made their way down the jetty towards the boat. As they neared the boat, one of the figures, the man, stepped away from the helm and left it in the girl's care as he stepped onto the jetty. He looked young, no older than Scott perhaps but he was a good head taller than Scott, with the muscular build of a bodyguard. His black hair tumbled about his strong face in the hot breeze as he made his way towards them with a genuine smile across his face. He was obviously the boat man they had been waiting for, as he wore a dark blue polo shirt with the hotel logo on his front. His accent was a mix of the French native tongue and acute English.

"I am so sorry we are late. We had some troubles with the weather,"

He gave a half-sheepish look as he set his gaze to the sky. Though no one really said anything or perhaps, didn't really notice, Rogue was surprised by the colour of his eyes. He was so darkly tanned, his colouring something between coffee and chocolate, she expected to see a pair of black or brown eyes. They were a total contrast. They were a sky-blue colour but dark with the cloud cover above. Rogue had to blink once or twice before agreeing that they were indeed blue. Not that anyone noticed of course.

"Though you may not believe me, it was pouring with rain not a half hour ago. I am Kairav, and this-"

He motioned towards the girl in the boat, who raised her head to smile at them from in the boat.

"Is my sister, Pelagia. Welcome to Saint Vincent."

Scott, as per usual, took the responsibility of being the 'spokes person' of the team as he stepped forward and accepted Kairav's **(2)** hand and shook it politely before replying.

"Thankyou, Kai- Ki-rah-?"

Kairav chuckled and repeated his name slowly so that Scott could understand. The two chuckled and bantered lightly about unusual names. Meanwhile, the others stood around silently as tensions and jetlag began to rise again. However, to their relief, Kairav was not one to dawdle with small talk as he reached for two of their bags and began to load it into the boat as he spoke.

"It is a twenty minute ride to the hotel, -if the weather does not slow us down."

Scott continued to talk with Kairav while he and Bobby helped load the rest luggage into the boat. Rogue, Kitty, Jean and Kurt sat themselves down on the seats in the back. Really it was all one continuous seat that ran along the inner edge of the boat. Though it wasn't greatly spacious, it was enough to sit comfortably and it Rogue's case, _safely_. Once the luggage was all loaded and safely tucked in, Kairav went to the helm against and started the engine while he and Scott continued to talk. Kitty and Jean were in close conversation, or more, Kitty was and Jean sat patiently listening to her whining. Bobby and Kurt sat on Rogue's right while she sat the farthest edge of the boat. She watched the water as it skidded past them, swelling in white suds while it sprayed the side of the boat. Rogue found herself lost in the swells of water as the jetlag began to sink in. However, she was not left alone for long as a new figure came to sit on the seat in front of her. Rogue jumped slightly as the young _woman_, Pelagia sat before her.

At Rogue's reaction, Pelagia gave an apologetic smile as she called out over the raging engine and the loud spray of the sea.

"I am sorry I frightened you! My name is Pelagia! What is yours?"

Rogue gave a feeble smile as she squinted to look at the girl. The strong, salty wind stung her eyes as her hair whipped back behind her head but she managed to make out Pelagia's appearance. Like her brother, her skin was a toss up between coffee and chocolate coloured and while her hair was longer, straighter than her brother's, it was the same raven-black colour. She was small framed, delicate even, wearing a shrunken version of the same shirt as her brother while donning a pair of black short-shorts. Her eyes, she noticed, were the same colour blue as Kairav's.

"No harm done! Ah'm Rogue!"

Pelagia smiled politely and nodded before calling back her reply.

"That is a strange name. But I like it. Does it mean anything?"

Rogue smiled knowingly as she replied.

"Ah'm a handful o' trouble ah guess."

Pelagia nodded in understanding but continued to smile contentedly. The rest of the boat ride was travelled in silence as the rain began to pour down on them about ten minutes into the journey. It came down hard and unrelenting, drenching them all from head to toe. Thankfully, however, it was humid rain and not blistering cold like they were used to back in New York. Regardlessly, it still did not sit well with Kitty as she began to curse and complain about her suitcase getting all wet and more importantly her new wardrobe she had neatly packed. Rogue was so grateful she was sitting next to Kurt by the time they reached the small wharf of the beach hotel. On arrival, Pelagia helped the group get their bags into the wharf where they were met by two more hotel staff donned in similar uniforms that helped them make the wet journey towards the path that led to the hotel lobby building. Pelagia and Kairav had to say their goodbyes at the boat, as they had to secure it to the wharf. Ten minutes later, the two staff and the group of mutants finally made it to the main hotel building and stood sopping wet in the main lobby. Pools of water surrounded their feet as Jean, Kitty, Rogue, Kurt and Bobby waited in the hallway while Scott checked them in at the front desk. As they waited, the group took the chance to take a look at the building. It was a building, despite first impressions that it was an oversized shack and not an actual lobby. The lobby basically consisted of polished mahogany floorboards, adjustable walls of glass and metal that, with the downpour outside, were shut closed. A few guests and staff hung about a reasonable sized sitting area with large seats and coffee tables in between. It was strange to think they had just come out of a snow-covered New York.

Kitty groaned irritably beside Rogue. Her hair was plastered against her neck while her large pink sun-hat had absorbed so much water that the brim had collapsed around her face. She looked like she had been half drowned in cat-walk fashion show, to say the least. She stood tapping her foot irritably and having donned a pair of flip-flops, they clapped the floor loudly in her impatience. After a couple of minutes of the 'clapping' and Scott had not moved from his place at the front desk, Bobby snapped.

"Kitty would you nock off the shoe-tapping! You're not the only one looking like a drowned cat!"

Kitty's eyes widened for a moment before a scowl crossed her face. She ripped off her sunglasses as she turned to face Bobby who stood leant against a wood beam beside her. She narrowed one eye at him as she hissed.

"Are you, like, calling me a _drowned cat_?"

Bobby shrugged, an equal scowl spread across his face as he matched her expression. Kitty glared at him and made to retort but Jean intercepted with a raised hand between them. She didn't need telepathy or telekinesis to handle a pair of cranky _older teens._ A disapproving frown crossed her face as she spoke.

"Kitty, Bobby, nock it off. I know we're all tired and that things haven't exactly been running on time but that's no reason to cause a scene. We came here to get _away_ from all that, remember?"

Kitty and Bobby stood glaring at each other for a moment and though their expressions didn't change, they back down from each other. Their fists unclenched and their retorts were held back as they turned their heads and refused to look at each other again. Rogue and Kurt exchanged half-amused, half-relieved looks.

"Okay, I have the keys-"

Thankfully, not a moment later, Scott appeared at their sides with a set of large, brass keys in his hand with each key attached to a plastic blue tag with a number on it. He barely had a chance to hand them out accordingly before everyone grabbed their own key and made their way towards the entrance doors. By then the rain had come to a stop, so it wasn't so traumatic having to stand outside and load the luggage into the small golf carts that had pulled up in front of them with a few friendly drivers in the front seat. They left in groups, Kitty and Rogue sat in one, Jean and Scott in another and Kurt and Bobby in the last. They drove down a dirt path that led away from the lobby building, trailing the strip of land that came between the tall mountain sides and the open beaches. The hotel itself was more or less a resort located on one of the more secluded small islands off Saint Vincent **(3). **Which, for the X-Men, was all they really wanted; _seclusion_. Finally, not ten minutes later, the golf cart carrying Jean and Scott stopped in front of what appeared to be a small hut house on the edge of a small section of a jungle area. It was made entirely from wood but stood on pillars of concrete while a wooden staircase led to a small undercover veranda. The roof was painted a deep blue colour, much like the staff uniforms, and pointed to the sky. As Scott and Jean got out of the cart and began moving their suitcases towards their _'room'_, Scott called out to the others as they slowly began to drive off again.

"We'll meet up at the lobby tomorrow morning at 9AM for breakfast!" 

Rogue rolled her eyes. _"Ah seriously hope he didn't have the professor install a travel-danger room in his suitcase." _It didn't sound impossible to her, given the fact she knew a boy who could create gateways to other dimensions with his _biotechnological arm_. Why not a portable danger room in a suitcase? Anyway, she knew well enough that _no-one_ would be waking up that early in the morning while on _vacation._ Kitty seemed to share the same sentiment as she gave a huff of disbelief and retorted out loud.

"I am, like, so not going to be there at nine. It's like, sacrilegious to wake up before noon on vacation!"

Rogue nodded in agreement as she waved to Bobby who got off the cart in front of them and walked towards _his_ hut. It had been mutually agreed that, save for Jean and Scott who were living together anyway, everyone would get their own room. Or hut, as it turned out. Rogue couldn't have been more grateful for the agreement. Not only did she _not_ have to deal with Kitty's pre-vacation mood swings, she had the seclusion she _needed_. In the mansion back in New York, there was barely a moment where she had peace or seclusion from the others. Hence the overall 24/7 need to cover up all the time. Rogue hoped, silently, that the others would have enough sense to leave her alone for a couple of days so she didn't _have to_ cover up so much.

After dropping off Kurt and Kitty in their respective huts, Rogue was finally allowed to settle into her own. It was like all the others, from the outside at least, but it was closer to the beach than all the others and further away from the other huts across the coast line. Rogue had a sneaking suspicion that the Professor or Jean might have gone to specific details when negotiating accommodations in her case. They were telepaths after all. Perhaps they had snuck a glance into her thoughts? She didn't dawdle on the matter though. Instead, she pulled her backpack and suit case up the small stairway and with the turn of the key, she entered the hut.

It wasn't huge, but it wasn't cramped. It was enough room for one, maybe two, people with two rooms. The larger room, the main room, was a mix of a bedroom and a sitting area. There was a single couch in one corner of the room made of itchy cream-coloured material with a few deep-blue pillows over the top. A small table stood in the corner beside it, with a complementary vase of fresh flowers and a pad and paper next to it. The queen-size bed took up most of the room. It was the same colour as the couch but there were a couple of small blue pillows that lay over the top of the cream-white sheets. Hanging from the sealing, much to Rogue's surprise, was a white, mesh canopy that hung from a metal hoop attached to the pointed ceiling. Rogue couldn't help the smile of approval from spreading across her face. Despite the aching jetlag that hung on her shoulders and the fact she was drenched through, she was getting a fantastic first impression from the accommodations.

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_**Okay so it's kinda a filler chapter but its getting there. I'm so sorry for the long wait! I've been busy and distracted. You'll know what happens with Remy and John next chapter! REVIEW! Thanks!**_

"Bloody hell, mate. Is that boat going to come around or what? Magneto said it would be here an hour ago!"

**(1) I have to say a huge thanks to ****Shadowfax999 ****who has been giving me loads of info about Saint Vincent. This story would not run smoothly without her help (so applaud her! She's brilliant!) And also, I have to say that not everything will be realistic (when is it ever in the X-Men World??) and this setting of the airport at Saint. V and the docks isn't at all accurate. It's all out of my head. Though (thanks to Shadowfax999) I know that airport is close to the beach and small in size. Lol. **

**(2)In case you're baffled about how to pronounce Kairav and Pelagia, here are the breakdowns and meaning of their names. They're all very related to the theme I'm going with.**

**Kairav (KAI rahv) –born from the water**

**Pelagia (Pe –la – giah) – Of the sea**

**(3) This island the hotel is on is totally made up, it won't have a name. I just needed a location, okay? lol**


	6. Acclimatizing

Hey everyone

_**Hey everyone! Thanks for the reviews!**_

_**-UltimateGammy91**_

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**Chapter Six – Acclimatizing **

"Bloody hell mate! Is that boat going to come around or what? Magneto said it would be here an hour ago!"

Remy rolled his eyes for possibly the hundredth time since arriving in Saint Vincent. Technically speaking, John had reason to be grouchy but that didn't mean Remy had to be sympathetic towards him. He wasn't so different himself, having sat in the rain for over a half hour while waiting for the supposedly _previously arranged_ boat that was supposed to pick them up. They were both drenched, cranky and in John's case, slapping himself every minute or so as mosquitos raged a persistence to feed on his blood. Remy found himself smirking silently with amusement as the Aussie grew more irritated by the mosquito count. It was growing late into the afternoon, the sun was already setting on the horizon. Remy sat still on his suitcase as he watched the sky, passing the time. The vibrant pinks, yellows and reds across the horizon were beginning to emerge from the fading clouds as the rain began to yield. John on the other hand who was naturally restless anyway continued to tread tracks up and down the path that led to the jetty. He scratched his exposed arms loudly where trails of mosquito bites dotted his skin like patterns. Though Remy tried to ignore the horrendous sound, there was only so much complaining and _scratching_ he could take before barking irritably.

"Would y' stop scratchin' y' self? _Mon Dieu!_ Y' be worse den a dog wit' fleas!"

John, with an irritated scowl, stopped scratching but muttered angrily.

"Well I wouldn't be scratchin' m'self like a mutt if that bloody boat got here on time!"

Remy rolled his eyes and turned his gaze back to the sunset. His face was set aglow by the sunlight, reflecting off his dark shades as he stared back. However, just as he did so, a moving silhouette caught his eye. After a moment's stare, a relieved sigh escaped his lips before he stood up and reached for his duffle bag as he spoke.

"Dere be y' boat."

"Thank bloody god! It's about time! I'm gonna be eaten alive by these nasty lil' buggers!"

Remy rolled his eyes. With his duffle bag in hand he made his way down the jetty with John trailing behind. Remy heard the Aussie mutter irritably but he obediently followed nonetheless. The boatman was a local, dark-skinned and spoke little English save for the essentials to assure the two men that he _was_ their ride to the base. Remy wondered where Magneto had hired him or more importantly if he was able to trust him with his whereabouts. But then, knowing Magneto, he was sure that a _generous_ boat fair had been paid to use his boat and keep his _mouth_ sealed shut, so he did not over think the matter. He got in the boat, followed by John, and when the man dropped them off twenty minutes later on the shore of a near-by island, he thanked him and the man and his boat left. The lights of the hotel lobby building shone dimly in the distance as they made their way up to the front desk.

Once there, they were greeted at the front desk by a friendly hotel manager with a tired smile and a polite welcome.

"Good evening sirs, are you checking in?"

Remy silently agreed to be the 'spokes person' for them as he replied the manager politely. John stood a little away from Remy with his bags, his eyes to the ceiling as he lingered in boredom and jetlag. After Remy organised their rooms- that had been booked beforehand at Magneto's expense, he handed John his key and followed the manager's instructions to step outside where a golf cart stood waiting with a driver in tow. The driver offered to help with the bags but Remy politely refused the help as he and John were more than capable of handling it. When they climbed into their seats, Remy took the front seat while John leisurely took over the full backseat. Dusk was turning to the early night as they drove down the dirt path towards their respective huts. Meanwhile, while John remained silent and content in the backseat, the driver began to make conversation with Remy.

"Are you and your friend from America?"

Remy shook his head, grinning as always while he replied over the noise of the engine. He was surprised to hear the French accent over the top of the young man's fluent English. So he replied naturally.

"I be from de South, _mais mon ami_ here," He made an effort to speak in English rather than Cajun. "He's from de South of _Australia_."

The young man smiled and nodded in understanding as he made a turn of the wheal. He sounded like a French Native but he didn't exactly look like one, Remy mused. He was physically more muscular and heavy than him. His skin however was bit of a toss up between shades of dark browns.

"You are a Cajun, _non_?"

Remy smirked and nodded before replying.

"_Oui._ From de French Quarter o' N'Orleans."

The young man nodded as he continued.

"We do not get many Cajuns up here. Americans, _New Yorkers_, some Australians…"

Remy nodded casually, not at all alarmed by his singling him out from the rest. It wasn't as if the guy was going to suddenly put two and two together that he and John were under the employment of probably the most wanted mutant terrorist on the planet.

"We had some Americans arrive this afternoon actually. A group of university students, I think."

That caught Remy's attention almost immediately. After a moment of thought, a small inward smile spread across his lips as he turned his gaze towards the passing landscape. There could only be one group of _'university _students' hanging around this island. He hadn't been able to see Rogue when she got off plane earlier due to the crowd blocking his sight.

"Y' don't say…" He muttered thoughtfully.

It was ironic to think they had boarded the same plane and arrive at the same location, but the same hotel? He chuckled inside, thinking of how the fates _really_ must have been hinting at something. However, he didn't get the chance to think about it for the moment as the cart pulled up on the dirt road in front of his hut. Remy pulled his bag out of the back, told John to stay out of trouble until _'the boss called'_ and thanked the guy for his assistance but stumbled when it came to addressing him.

"T'anks for y' assistance eh…"

"Kairav."

Remy nodded and thanked him again before walked off towards the hut. As soon as the door shut behind him he set his duffle bag on the floor, kicked off his shoes and tosses his trench coat onto the near-by couch. With that, he walked over to the cream sheeted Queen-size bed and flopped onto it face-first with a tired groan. He laid there for a couple of minutes, his face buried in a cool pillow before rolling over on the bed with his eyes shut. He smirked and chuckled softly as he spoke aloud.

"De chances are we gonna run into each other sooner or later…"

The past evidence was only supportive to that notion. However, before he could roll over again and fall asleep like he intended, he felt a light buzz and ringing erupt from his jeans pocket. Groaning irritably, Remy reached for his cell phone and pulled it out. He answered it blandly.

"_Bonjour monsieur Lencherr_. How are y' dis evening?"

"_Glad to hear you and Pyro made it to the accommodations. I assume they're acceptable?"_

Remy took the small gap of silence to eye the room quickly. It was spacious enough for one, with a cream coloured couch beside a large window facing him and a canopy above his head. It was a classic tropical holiday hut house.

"Very. One question though, why y' set _moi et _Pyro _here_ while y' in dat big o' base o' yours on de other side o' de island?" 

Remy smirked amusedly at the Master of Magnetism's audible sigh of annoyance before he replied.

"_People here take __**notice**__ of new comers. They will start to question if a pair of White tourists begin popping up out of no where and I intend on keeping my __**secret**__ base, an actual secret. So I would prefer you and that __**big-mouth**__ Australian stay there. Can you handle that?"_

Remy rolled his eyes. Of course he could handle it. Hell, he would indulge himself a little while he was at it. He crossed one foot over the other while his free hand hid under the back of his head as a show of his _indulgence_ as he replied cooly.

"_Oui mon Captain. Mais,_ did y' have anyt'ing in mind y' wanted us t' do tomorrow?"

"_Familiarise yourself with your new surroundings and report to the coordinates I send you in three days. I will pass the message onto Pyro."_

Remy grinned as he replied.

"_D'accord boss._"

"_Oh and Gambit?"_

"Oui?"

"_Make sure not to make any_ _**displays **__in the next three days. We do not need a witch hunt on our hands, understood?"_

"Understood."

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_**Okay, another filler chapter. But hey, now everyone knows where the Acolytes and the X-Men are staying. Next chapter, without further ado, Remy and Rogue meet again and the REAL plot picks up. **_

_**REVIEW! **_

_**-UltimateGammy91**_


	7. Wake Up, the Sun is Shining

_**Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait!**_

_**-UltimateGammy91**_

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**Chapter Seven – Wake Up the Sun is Shining **

When Rogue woke the next morning, it was to the sound of lapping waves as they crashed gently against the sand in the near distance. The sound of the water was accompanied by the sound of wind whistling softly through the cracks of the small hut-house. Slowly, Rogue's eyes opened and blinked until her gaze focuses. The large room of the hut was dimly lit by the slight gaps between the wooden blinds of the windows. The wooden panels nocked gently against the window frames irritably. Frowning slightly in her groggy state, Rogue pulled herself out of her bed and slipped on the light robe she had laid out at the bottom of her bed. She moved towards the door slowly and unlocked the brass key before swinging the blue wooden door open. Her eyes scrunched closed at the brightness of the late morning. After her eyes adjusted somewhat, she ventured outside onto the small veranda of the hut and sat herself down on the small wooden staircase. The sight before her was too much like a fantasy that she found it hard to believe.

The sun had come out from behind a couple of dark and light clouds, ascending its blinding light over the ocean view before her. Light scattered like broke shards of glass over the sky-coloured water. The water shards shimmered beautifully in the far distance while gentle waves broke against the white sand of the shore. Rogue sat still for about ten minutes just watching the view. There was nothing she could compare it to. New York was not so magical or _natural_ as this. Mississippi _was_ her home and had many a river to swim in and catch the sunlight but it couldn't compare to this. Rogue didn't know when but somehow she had dragged herself away from the view and ransacked her suitcase to pull out her digital camera. Within ten minutes, she had taken over two dozen or so photos. It was only when she felt her stomach rumble hungrily that she moved back inside. Her phone indicated that it was close to midday already. Rogue pulled a face, she had missed breakfast. Maybe there would be some kind of food service back at the main building of the hotel? She decided to check for herself.

Rogue began to riffle through her unpacked suitcase. There was a small closet in the room with dozen or so coat-hangers dangling inside, so she put most of her shirts in there. Unlike her usually dark selection of clothing that she wore back in New York, Rogue pulled out a pair of faded denim jeans and a white long-sleave shirt that was made from a light cotton chemise sort of material. Though it covered most of her upper body, it was more merciful than a usual t-shirt would have been. It was thin enough to allow her skin to breathe in the humidity and conservative enough to keep others safe from her skin. The front of the shirt was threaded with a brown-threaded pattern while a slit had been made around the collar. Last of all, as usual, Rogue slipped on a pair of mesh-like white gloves and a pair of flip-flop shoes. Once dressed, Rogue pulled out a pair of large back sunglasses and slipped them on, placed her room key in her pocket and grabbed her wallet before slipping out of the hut. It was a good fifteen minute walk to the main building but Rogue didn't mind. She felt awake now, having given her muscles a good stretch but she needed food. Her stomach rumbled irritably as she made a quick pace up the stairway.

The fridged coolness of the room hit her immediately after she stepped inside. She spotted several air conditioners attached to cables near the walls. The coolness made her shiver slightly as she made her way through the hallway. There were a couple of tourists hanging about, as there were several staff people running around too. Some stopped and politely greeted her as she passed, making Rogue smile nervously as she mumbled a polite 'hello' or nod. Though being treated so _nicely_ by complete strangers wasn't unpleasant, it felt strange and unnatural to Rogue. It was almost second nature in New York for people to scowl at you, bustle past you without a second glance or nock you down in the process before growling back a couple of blasphemous words. For people like Rogue and the X-Men, it was made a thousand times worse once their faces became weekly news across the television. They were branded _freaks._ Here, it didn't seem to occur to anyone _who_ or _what_ they were. Rogue found the change in perception unnatural but not at all unwelcomed.

'_That's why ya here stupid. To get away from all that...'_

Rogue had been so deeply lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice the girl coming towards her or the mountain of fresh white towels in her arms. They clashed instantaneously, the pile of towels flopping soundlessly to the floor as the two girls toppled to the floor. Rogue lay still for a moment, her back to the floor as she pulled a towel off her face. Though nothing was broken, that she could tell, Rogue sat up cautiously only to realise that someone else was on the floor beside her. Realisation hit her like a- well, a ton of towels apparently, as the girl turned to face her from her half-seated position beside her. Pelagia's sky-blue eyes widened with horror as realisation drew across her face. She began to apologise frantically.

"I- I am _so very sorry!_ I did not- I did not look where I was walking, I should have- Are you hurt? I did not hurt you did I?"

Rogue chuckled anxiously as she raised her gloved hands in light defence. She tried to reassure the frantic girl as she replied.

"No, it's not ya fault. _Ah_ wasn't lookin' where ah was going. Ah'm sorry ah nocked ya down-"

Pelagia stood up swiftly as she continued to apologise repeatedly. She attempted to pull Rogue to her feet but Rogue was quick to stand before she could attempt to touch her. It was a second nature reaction these days.

"No no no! It was my fault-"

Rogue shook her head in disagreement as she stood up. Her backside was a little sore from the fall but other than that, she was unscathed as she attempted to assure Pelagia who was beside herself with apologies. Finally, Rogue saw no other way to stop her and so she began to pick up the scattered towels on the floor. She knelt down and began to re-fold the towels best she could while Pelagia protested for her to let _her_ do it. Finally, Pelagia gave up and began to do the same at a quicker pace. Within a couple of minutes, the towels were neatly folded into two piles. Rogue insisted on helping by taking one of the piles while Pelagia took the other. Pelagia tried to take the other pile from her as they made their way in the direction of a pair of double doors that read _'staff only' _across the front. Rogue however, only smiled and insisted she would feel better if she let her help. Pelagia, unable to persuade her, gave up and allowed Rogue to follow her into the laundry room. The neon blue light flickered overhead in the large tiled room as they made their way to an elderly looking washing machine. Pelagia directed them to the large washing bag held up by a metal frame. Rogue asked why the towels needed washing again. They had seemed perfectly unscathed apart from being unfolded. They pilled the towels inside it as Pelagia explained that people might make complaints if they found the towels untidy or dirty in any way. Rogue didn't disagree. Afterwards, Pelagia made towards another pile of fresh towels on a bench top as she thanked Rogue for her help, expecting her to leave now that she had finished helping. To her surprise, Rogue offered to help her with the new set of towels.

Five minutes later, the two girls walked outside of the main building with Pelagia leading the way. They carried half each, following a sand path that moved away from the main building towards a limestone wall. They passed through a small door only to walk into an entirely different section. A grand kidney-shaped pool stretched across the large courtyard. A crowd of hotel guests were spread around the place. Children played loudly in the water, splashing each other and bomb diving off the pool edge. Meanwhile, their uninterested parents laid on pool chairs and lathered themselves with sun block and took their fill of beverages from a small drink shack. Rogue sniggered silently at an obviously over indulged chubby child as he pulled on his mother's sarong (dress-like thing) and wailed for something or rather she could not make out. The mother pointed a scolding finger at the plump child and growled some sort of reproach as Rogue and Pelagia walked by. Pelagia led them towards the drink shack where they handed over the towels to one of the staff members- another familiar face!

Kairav smiled at his sister but quickly turned his attention to Rogue as he took the pile of towels from her arms. He gave Pelagia a small questioning glance before turning to Rogue to speak. There was a certain warmth to his voice that Rogue liked instantly.

"Good afternoon, miss uh-"

"Rogue."

Rogue replied with a polite smile. Kairav nodded, smiling brightly, as he replied.

"Yes- you are one of the Americans that came yesterday? Yes?"

Rogue nodded. Kairav gave a small nod in return. Rogue noticed the similarity between Kairav and her brother, Kurt. Though they appeared completely different, and were, they both had the same kind of cheerful warmth to them. He smiled brightly as he replied in what Rogue would deem a truly _polite_ manner.

"Well uh, thank you for helping my sister. I hope we did not take any of your time-"

Rogue gave a small smile as she interjected quickly.

"Nah, it was fahne. It was the least ah could do seein' as ah pretty much nocked raght into her in the lobby."

Pelagia gave a nervous chuckle as she replied her brother's bemused expression. They continued to work, Kairav passing her a load of used towels in a navy coloured sack. Pelagia took it without strain though, from the largeness of the sack, Rogue feared it might send her bending.

"We had a small collision, brother. Rogue was nice enough to help me take the towels back to the wash room."

Rogue chuckled as she raised her hands dramatically.

"Towels everywhere!"

Kairav chuckled good-humouredly and nodded his reply as another staff member handed him a piece of paper with a scribbled note across it. He began pouring drinks from the bar that stood beside him as he spoke.

"Well, at least there was no damage. I am sorry I cannot talk long, but business calls."

Rogue nodded understandingly and, with Pelagia in tow, they said goodbye and Rogue followed Pelagia towards the door in the wall again. Though Pelagia hadn't expected her to follow, she made no complaints, just inquiries. She gave Rogue a curious look as she spoke.

"Do you not wish to find your friends? You _did_ come with them, yes?"

Rogue nodded as they made their way through the door in single file. Pelagia went first with the sack of towels while Rogue followed and talked at the same time.

"They're probably off doing somethin' ah don't really mahnd."

This seemed only to confuse Pelagia more as she replied with a bemused look.

"You do not wish to uh, what is the phrase, _'hang-out'_ with them?"

Rogue smiled amusedly as she replied.

"It isn't that ah don't enjoy their company. It's just that, well, ah live with them in a boarding house and we're always around each other. Ah came here for some time alone-"

Pelagia smiled when understanding struck her.

"I understand. You need time for yourself, yes?"

Rogue nodded, glad that they were now on the same page again. Pelagia smiled, giving a hearty sigh as she replied.

"Well if its seclusion you are looking for, this is a good place for it. The island may look small compared to the mainland but there are many places for one to be alone."

Rogue smiled.

"That's good to know."

Pelagia continued the conversation with new found animation since the towel incident. She smiled kindly as they continued to walk and talk at once. They were half-way back to the main lobby building now.

"Have you been to Sain Vincent before?"

Rogue shook her head. Whether she had said yes or no wouldn't have mattered much as Pelagia began to tell her everything about Saint Vincent and herself. She was from a close by island (_the Grenadines_ she called these other islands) near the small island the hotel was situated on. She, her brother and their large family all lived together in a house on the beach side. Pelagia and her brother worked at the hotel half the week while spending the rest of the week working on their father's fishing boat and driving tourists in and out of the islands. She told Rogue about the activities the hotel offered and sniggered at most of them for their touristy appeal such as sandcastle building races, ballroom dancing lessons (a new addition to the roster, Pelagia scoffed), a newly furnished gym (that no one used) and various other children's activities that she had had the misfortune of having to host. There were also some more beach and sea orientated activities that both Pelagia and Rogue found appealing. Every day qualified staff members (most of them locals from Saint Vincent) led paying tourists out on boat tours around the Grenadines, scuba diving, surfing and tours of the mainlands. Finally, after talking of nothing but Saint Vincent, Pelagia asked about where Rogue hailed from. Rogue told her about Bayville and New York sans the _mutant-related _aspects, and about her 'boarding school friends' who were somewhere around the hotel grounds. By the time they had finished talking about their homes, the sack of towels was dropped off in the laundry room and the two girls were making their ways out of the lobby. They came to a stand still at the steps to the sitting area. Pelagia suck out a hand to shake, which Rogue took gently and let go just as quickly, before she began her goodbyes.

"It was nice meeting you again, Rogue. Uh, I _am_ sorry about nocking you over-"

"Nah- let's hold it at a truce. Okay?"

Pelagia nodded and with a last goodbye and a promise to meet again soon, Pelagia she left shortly afterwards. After a few minutes of walking around aimlessly however, Rogue remembered _why_ she had left the hut in the first place. Her stomach gave a timely growl of hunger at the thought. However, she had no idea where to get it. Breakfast at the hotel had long finished and it was nearing midday, so, without much further to go on, Rogue made her way back to the pool courtyard and hoped there was _something_ edible that wasn't alcohol or liquidised.

It was too early in the day to start drinking.

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_**Meanwhile…**_

_**BANG BANG BANG**_

"REMY! MATE IT'S NEAR NOON! GET YER ARS OUTTA BED! REMY!..."

The sound of the door being half nocked off its hinges and a strong Australian accent barking orders dragged Remy's mind to consciousness. He had been having a particularly pleasant dream concerning a specific _Southern Belle_ with emerald eyes and a fiery temper when John's voice erupted from her mouth instead of the pleasant Southern drawl that had been whispering into his ear. His head shot up from its buried position in his pillow while the rest of his body shot up like a bolt of electricity had run a current through him from head to foot. As a result, he ended up becoming tangled in the blue mesh canopy that hung over the bed and falling off the bed with a loud thud. He untangled himself, grumbling and muttering in French, before pulling on a pair of jeans and heading towards the front door. He swung it open just as John was about to nock again, catching him mid-nock with an irritated glare. John gave a meek smirk before replying cheerfully.

"Well it's about time, mate. You've slept most of the day away."

Remy ran a hand over his face and yawned as he replied.

"Yeah well, Cajuns need dere beauty sleep. No one said anyt'ing about a sleepin' schedule."

John rolled his eyes but the Cajun's sarcasm didn't dampen his spirits. He leant against the doorframe with his arms crossed across his front. He was a wiry looking young man, lean but stronger than he looked. He had donned a pair of black board-shorts with tones of orange flames streaming up each leg, a white tank-shirt without sleaves and a pair of flip flops on his feet. His orange hair was pushed back by a pair of orange-shaded sunglasses, finishing the typical _Australian Pyro_ attire he always went for even in civilian clothes.

When Remy continued to yawn and grumble, John gave his friend a slap on the back and pushed him back into the hut as he ordered good humouredly.

"Come on Remy, get y'self dressed an' we'll go find some grub. The hotel only serves breakfast before eleven, so we're gonna have t' find for ourselves, yeah?"

Remy grumbled a 'yes' as a reply before skulking tiredly into the shadows of the hut. It was only ten minutes later, after splashing his face with water and pulling on a pair of black and green board-shorts and a black T-shirt that he remembered something. _Rogue_ would be wandering around the island somewhere. He grinned devilishly as a plan began to form.

"WOULD YOU HURRY IT UP ALREADY!"

Remy rolled his eyes as he slipped on his sunglasses and some flip-flop shoes. He tucked a pair of full-fingered gloves into his back pocket as he went to the door, muttering.

"Yes _mother."_

He decided he would have to ditch Pyro _before_ meeting up with Rogue.

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_**Yes I know, filler chapter but I needed to get this one out. **_

_**Sorry for the waiting for updates, its not entirely intentional. lol. **_

_**Anyway, HUGE THANKS to Shadowfax999, as always she's my Saint Vincent tour guide and keeps me up to scratch with most aspects about the island. **_

_**Next chapter, Remy and Rogue meet up again and plans are set for some Scuba Diving (not what you think btw) **_

_**Thanks! REVIEW!**_

_**-UltimateGammy91**_


	8. Footprints in the Sand

_**Hey everyone thanks for the reviews! This chapter ISN'T a filler! Promise!**_

_**-UltimateGammy91**_

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_**Chapter Eight – Footprints in the Sand**_

Rogue felt a small smile spread across her lips as she let her bare toes wriggle in the cool sand. The feeling was soothing and despite the insignificance of the action, it was a little freedom that she relished with a grin. She sat in the shade of a few palm trees on the edge of the grassy brink that led to the sandy beach. She had been fortunate to find a small snack shack in the pool courtyard and had bought herself a small fruit platter and a lemon soda. While the soda bottle was secure in her hand, the fruit bowl sat on her knees while she sat elevated on a patch of grass. Her bare feet lay in the cooled sand with her shoes not two or three feet away. The heat of the day had begun to rise as the afternoon aged, forcing Rogue to pull her hair back into a sloppy tail. Her sunglasses were pushed back onto the top of her head, forcing her white streaks away from her face. However, despite the rising heat, Rogue felt comfortable, at ease even. What more could a person want in a tropical paradise like this?

"Hey Rogue! –Bobby! I found her!"

Rogue jumped (and winced inwardly) at the familiar holler of her brother's voice. Before she could make herself scarce or better yet _run_ she felt two presences appear on either side of her, followed by two grinning faces. She had to smirk lightly at their attire. Each boy donned a colourful Hawaiian-flower shirt that was left unbuttoned, differentiating caps, board shorts and flip-flop shoes. Their faces were slathered in white sunscreen, making their grinning faces all the most silly. Kurt was the first to speak. He looked as if he were about to burst he was so full of excitement.

"You vill never guess what we just got!"

"Yeah,' Bobby quipped in. "We got the _best_ deal! Seriously!"

Rogue was barely able to suffice a 'What did you get?' before Kurt grasped her by the shoulders (carefully) and shook her lightly as he exclaimed.

"You and I, Bobby and Kitty are going scuba diving off one of the nearby islands tomorrow morning! Isn't zhat great?!"

Bobby was quick to cut Rogue off in his own exclaim of excitement.

"The hotel gave us a load of gear on hire for a really good price! Wet suits, gas tanks, fins, scuba masks- the load. The boat hire payment is next to nothing _and_ we get an authentic native guy showing us the site. Cool huh?"

Rogue blinked several times as she tried to register the whole idea. Her? Scuba diving? If circumstances were different, Rogue would've been fine with the idea but swimming with a bunch of fish and who knew what else ready to touch her skin? She didn't fancy the idea of absorbing the mind of a fish. She shook her head and gave an apologetic look towards her brother to ease his disappointment as she spoke.

"Look that sounds really great but its bad enough ah can'te swim with people around. Ah don't wanna risk absorbing _fish_ an' adding that t' the list. Why don't ya'll ask Scott t' take mah place or somethin'?"

Kurt and Bobby both gave crestfallen looks but they didn't give in easily. Bobby was quick to retort.

"Aw come on Rogue, it'll be fine! We made sure to get you a suit that coved _everything_ and besides that you'll be wearing scuba masks and fins anyhow. You'll be completely covered!"

Rogue made a reluctant face before settling on a scowl. She leant back on the balls of her hands as she replied irritably.

"Kurt this is _mah_ vacation _away_ from_ group activities._ Ah don't wanna-"

Kurt began to pout mercilessly before she could finish. He began to plead not long afterwards.

"_Schwester, please?_ You've got to come! Zhis is ze only thing we'll ask you to do with us while we're here, I promise. Just say you'll come this once? Please? For me?"

He continued to pout, causing Rogue to slump her shoulders in half defeat. Bobby joined in on the pouting session, both boys kneeling before her with the best puppy-dog-eyed impression they could muster. Though Rogue ignored Bobby's pouting face easily, Kurt's was a little harder to resist…entirely. Finally, with an utterly defeated sigh of resign, Rogue nodded. The two gave identical whoops of delight, high-fived each other and ran off after a quick thankyou shout out from Kurt. Rogue shook her head with a small sigh as she set her gaze back on the sea view before her. It wouldn't necessarily _kill_ her to do _one measly day _of scuba diving would it? Besides, she had a full six weeks ahead of her to do as she pleased. She had more than enough time to be alone and enjoy the seclusion. With a last swig of her soda Rogue plopped the last strawberry from the bowl pack in her mouth before slipping on her shoes and standing up. She had had enough of the shade. As she turned around to step back onto the path she slipped on her sunglasses and began the journey back to her hut. The blaring sunlight singed the uncovered spots of her neck as soon as she stepped out of the shade of the trees. Rogue frowned. She would remember to put on sun block before she left next time. She didn't want to spend a week inside a hut getting over a dose of sunburn.

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Rogue ran into no one on the return journey to the hut. No tourists, no friendly staff people or any of the other X-Men. The hour was growing late, near three in the afternoon and the shade had descended over her hut by the time she reached it. Like the friendly staff peoples' treatment back at the main building, Rogue found it strange to have so much open space. No people crowding the pathway, no mindless chatter drifting through the air and not a soul to intrude upon one's own peace and quiet. There was nothing but the soothing sound of the waves and the cool breeze that drifted by every so often. Rogue couldn't help but smile lightly to herself. There was nothing better.

As she ascended the small stairway she decided that since she wasn't _obligated_ to do anything with the others until the following morning, she would get a head start on _her_ planned out activities. Upon entering the hut and closing the door behind her, Rogue pulled open her suitcase. She dug around for a few minutes before pulling out a medium-sized black shopping bag from the bottom of the case. Before leaving on this trip to paradise, she, Jean and Kitty had gone out shopping for holiday _essentials;_ clothes. Jean had been practical of course, getting only what she _really_ needed which was a new bathing suit, a new sarong, towel and some travellers checks, Kitty had been the most _impractical._ She had practically maxed out her cards (again) on different shades of pink sarongs ("I, like, need to have some variety! I can't, like, wear the same one all the time!"), _three_ new swim suits, thick sunglasses that made her look like human fly (in Rogue's opinion), _bottles_ of sun-block, packs of sanitising wipes, make up travel kits, sandal shoes and other _quantities_ of that sort. Rogue, comparably, stood no where in between the other two. She had opted to leave the two to shop _alone_ and the end result was now this inconspicuous shopping bag.

Like a thief waiting to be caught, she opened it carefully and pulled out two pieces of thick-striped black and blue material. Blushing slightly, despite being well and truly alone, Rogue moved towards the small bathroom towards the back of the hut and changed quickly. She emerged from the bathroom in a two-piece bikini. The top's straps wrapped around her neck and attached together with a plastic latch while the hipster-bottom hugged her hips quite nicely like a pair of short-shorts. Rogue couldn't help but fidget with her fingers slightly in the bareness of the bathing suit. Obviously, due to her powers, wearing anything like this even around the mansion pool was strictly unrealistic. Rogue had never shown much skin around the others, not even now that she had somewhat accepted it that she wouldn't have control. _'Yet'_ she reminded herself. Apart from that, there was always the embarrassing possibility of someone spotting her wearing something like this back at the mansion. What with a house half full of raging hormonal boys and somewhat discriminative girls, an untouchable such as Rogue would die of the embarrassment. Thus, when Kitty and Jean had been preoccupied elsewhere on that trip to the mall, Rogue had slipped into a bikini store and picked out a swim suit that was something _different_ to her usual attire. She refused to have to wear that all-covering scuba-suit she usually had to wear when swimming with the others. Not when _said others_ would not necessarily have to be around while she swam.

"_This is _mah_ vacation," _She thought silently to herself as she took a look in the closet mirror. She forced her fiddling fingers to separate and move to her sides determinedly. _"Ah'll be damned if ah let somethin' lahke this ruin it." _So what if she was provoking danger by wearing this _thing._ Girls her age wore these things, why couldn't she? Just this _one_ time? No one would see. _No one_. With that, Rogue turned back to her suitcase and pulled out her sun block and her blue towel. After covering every bare spot of skin in sun-block, placing her towel on the small terrace railing, she stepped out onto the sun-kissed beach and waded into the gentle tide of the ocean.

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_**Meanwhile…**_

Remy was officially _bored_. Except for the pool courtyard, the small bar in the hotel, a hotel gift store with useless trinkets, the island was full of nothing but touristy expenditures, all of which he had seen, experienced and endured over the past two hours. Anything and everything worth looking into, as said by one of the more _helpful_ friendly staff members (as they all were), was back at the mainland of Saint Vincent that could only be reached by boat. He had no intention of leaving the island that day and, apparently, neither did his _jolly Aussie _comrade. John had taken to the touristy attractions as quickly as a moth to a flame or more a pyromaniac to a flame, literally. When he had dragged Remy out of his hut for the day, he had pushed him towards the hotel gift store only to emerge a half hour later with a large gift bag full of brightly coloured tourist gifts. Hotel cap-hats, hotel logo-painted pencils, T-shirts, pens with shells stuck to them, a couple of brightly-coloured flowery necklaces and countless other tourist traps that Remy had all but _tried_ to drag John and his wallet away from. However, there was no stopping John until he had bought at least half the store out of all it had. Remy wondered why his wallet hadn't started screaming as soon as they had entered the shop.

Now, however, Remy sat on a stool in the one place that _he_ could tolerate; _the bar._ While he drowned a regular beer (he wasn't one for early-day drinking, so he kept it to the minimum), John's beer bottle sat untouched on the bar stool. The once-frozen layer of water on the bottle had dribbled onto the bench top as its owner stood several feet away, _attempting_ to chat up an '_Aussie Sheila'_ that had supposedly _'stolen his heart at first sight.'_ Remy rolled his eyes for the millionth time as John exploded in a barking sort of laugh. There was no doubt in Remy's mind he had just cracked the latest 'joke' and watched with pity as the blonde _'Sheila'_ raised an unimpressed brow at him and shifted away from him slightly. They stood at the end of the bar bench, John with his back turned while leaving his _Sheila's _expression bare for Remy to observe. The _relationship_ was headed for a slap in the face the way John was going on about it, _that_ Remy was sure of, however, he didn't intend on waiting to find out. Laying down some bills on the counter and thanking the bar tender quietly, Remy moved towards the exit discreetly and left John to his own fate.

He hadn't gone far, as far as the edge of the pool courtyard, when _someone_ caught his eye. A flare of red hair caught his attention, accompanied by a pair of ruby-quarts lenses that were unmistakeably recognisable. Jean Grey and Scott Summers passed by from across the pool, hand in hand while both were attired for a day at the pool. Remy made sure to keep himself inconspicuous as he stepped out of the pool courtyard but could not stop the smirk from spreading across his face. _'If dey be here, Rogue's got t' be somewhere close." _Though he had looked around on his way out, to his disappointment but not his surprise, Rogue was nowhere in sight. _'De crowd,' _he figured. She wouldn't risk it with so many people around in their bathing suits and exposed skin.

"_But where she be now?"_

With that thought came his personal objective for the rest of the day. He retraced his steps around the hotel grounds (while avoiding John's presence completely) but there was no sign of her. He had a near run-in with a few more of her team mates but they were easily avoided. Soon however, as the hour grew later with each aimless step, Remy became restless. She couldn't have left the island. She wasn't a girl that struck him as a crowd-loving person and that would be all over the mainland if she left. _'Non,'_ he decided. She wouldn't leave. The nature of her powers and the seclusion the island offered away from all those _dangerous possibilities _that could occur on the mainland was too inviting. He was certain she wouldn't miss out on that kind of opportunity.

Remy frowned irritably as he came to a standstill on the dirt road that led to the huts. '_Mais where would she go den?"_ He gave an aggravated sigh. He felt so at home in this climate, the sun on his face and the heat radiating with the cool breeze, but there was a difference between a speck of land in the middle of the ocean and the buzz of the South back in the States. _Space_ made all the difference to muddle up his mood and sense of direction as it turned out. Without much of an idea of where to start looking again however, Remy settled on walking aimlessly down the dirt road. Maybe he would get lucky?

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_**Meanwhile…**_

The water rushed over her like a second coat of transparent skin. When she had first stepped into the shallow foamy waves it had been stone-cold. However after taking a deep breath and plunging head-first into the surf, the cold became nonexistent. Rogue smiled as she rose from the waves and lingered above the surface for a few moments, her feet kicking the space of water below. The ocean horizon stretched before her in a deep shade of blue, a mirror of the cloudless sky above. Though the heat of the day hadn't gone just yet, the hour was growing late. The light of the sky had begun to sink into the horizon. Rogue took little notice of it as she dived below the surface again. She opened her eyes once she was engulfed by the water. Though her vision was blurred a little she could make out the sand below along with the dulled sunrays that danced across it. She wasn't far out enough for there to be fish or any marine life for that matter but that didn't bother her. In fact it made things a little easier on her knowing her chances of absorbing any fish near-by were slimmer than they would be out in the deep. With a small smile, she kicked off in the water, launching herself like a human-submarine into the endless space of water.

The tiny bubbles that emerged with each movement of her arms and legs tickled her skin pleasantly while the sound of water rushing past sang in her ears. She felt lighter in the water. Which, honestly, did sound rather obvious but it was frankly how she felt. _Weightless._ It wasn't a feeling she had very often. Rogue didn't know how long she stayed out in the water but judging from the sudden dimming of the sunlight, she figured it had been long enough. She rose from the depths with the rush of a passing wave. She was thrown off balance quickly, sending her stumbling into the water before she managed to find her footing in the shallows again. The sand turned to puffs of mist in the water as she dragged her feet to keep her from stumbling in the surf. Finally, when she was able to stand and walk properly without the waves pushing her off balance, Rogue was able to step onto the beach. She didn't go very far before heaving a sigh and sitting herself down on the sand.

Tucking her legs up, Rogue wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her chin atop them as she stared out to the horizon. Dark-smeared white clouds had begun to stretch over the sky, foretelling prospects of a downpour of rain soon. She figured as she remained there on the shore, that maybe she should head back to her place. She should probably start thinking about what she should do about dinner. It wasn't until the sun had lowered a few paces over the sky that she decided to get up. She dusted the wet sand off the back of her legs as she pulled herself to her feet. However, as she began the track back to the hut (she had wandered away from the hut while in the water) something in the distance caught her eye. Squinting, Rogue realised it was a person headed in her direction. She couldn't make out significant features, mostly that the person- _man_ was dressed in black or what she could tell. She continued to walk back up the invisible path to her hut which happened to be in the direction the man was coming from. As she came closer, the figure before her came into better view. She could make out features now and realised firsthand that he wasn't just dressed in black but a pair of green stripes accented the pair of board shorts he was wearing. His hair was a reddish-brown colour, tussling in the humid wind that blew down the beach. His face wasn't distinguishable, save for a pair of dark sunglasses that hid away his eyes. However, despite this concealment, Rogue's mouth still fell open in shock and realisation. As she came to recognise the confident, casual stride that the man defined she was certain that he had realised who _she_ was too.

"_No way…"_

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_**Muahahahaha. Yes go ahead and fume that I left you on Cliff Hanger. **_

_**But Review please, and please don't send any flames!**_

_**-UltimateGammy91**_


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